On April 9, the cultural landscape of Venice will be enriched by the inauguration of AMA Venezia, a new contemporary art space founded by Laurent Asscher. More than just a museum, the foundation is a testament to the transformative power of private collections evolving into public institutions that foster engagement with contemporary art.
The Vision Behind AMA Venezia
Lauren Halsey, “Friends Feeding Friends,” 2024, courtesy of the artist and AMA Collection, installation view by Sebastiano Pellion di Persano.
Elizabeth Peyton, “The Age of Innocence,” 2007, courtesy of the artist and AMA Collection, installation view by Sebastiano Pellion di Persano.
Laurent Asscher, who began collecting art in 2012, has established AMA Venezia with a clear mission: to support living artists, push creative boundaries, and provide a space where art can inspire and provoke dialogue. The foundation houses a significant collection of contemporary art, with a particular emphasis on American artists from the 1960s to the present. The transformation of a historic Venetian site into a cutting-edge exhibition space underscores Asscher’s commitment to harmonizing past and present.
Venice, long known for its unparalleled artistic heritage, has increasingly become a hub for contemporary art foundations. Institutions like the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Palazzo Grassi, and the Fondazione Prada have already cemented the city’s reputation as a contemporary art destination. With AMA Venezia, Asscher joins this illustrious tradition, offering a dynamic venue that champions both established and emerging artists.
Architectural and Historical Context
AMA Venezia’s location at Fondamenta de Ca’ Vendramin carries a rich historical significance. The building’s origins can be traced back to the famous 1500 plan of Venice by Jacopo de Barbari, where it appears as part of an industrial complex, possibly a factory. Over the centuries, the site housed various enterprises, including a soap factory. Now, under the careful direction of TA Torsello Architettura, specialists in the restoration of cultural heritage, the space has been thoughtfully reclaimed, merging its historical identity with a contemporary function. The result is an architectural dialogue between old and new, where preservation meets modernity to create an inspiring setting for art.
The Inaugural Exhibition
Wade Guyton, “Untitled,” 2021, Epson UltraChrome HDX inkjet on linen, cast Aluminium, ©Wade Guyton, courtesy of the artist and AMA Collection Installation view by Sebastiano Pellion di Persano.
Wade Guyton, “Four Fires,” 2021, courtesy of the artist and AMA Collection, installation view by Sebastiano Pellion di Persano.
AMA Venezia’s first exhibition presents an impressive roster of artists, including Avery Singer, Brice Marden, David Hammons, Elizabeth Peyton, Florian Krewer, Jacqueline Humphries, Jeff Koons, Jordan Wolfson, Lauren Halsey, Mohammed Sami, Refik Anadol, Rudolf Stingel, Salman Toor, Tim Breuer, and Wade Guyton. This carefully curated selection explores the evolving nature of artistic production, particularly the interplay between digital and analog techniques in contemporary painting and sculpture.
Singer’s works exemplify this fusion, employing 3D modeling software to construct intricate compositions before rendering them in paint. Guyton similarly challenges conventional notions of painting by using digital inkjet printers to create large-scale canvases, where the artist’s interventions with the material surface generate unique distortions.
In contrast, artists like Toor and Peyton embrace more traditional painterly techniques while addressing contemporary themes. Toor’s intimate, emotionally charged portraits of queer and diasporic experiences stand alongside Peyton’s jewel-toned renderings of cultural icons and personal acquaintances. Their works offer a deeply personal counterpoint to the mechanical precision of digitally influenced paintings.
Hammons’ conceptual approach further expands the exhibition’s scope. His graphite ball-bouncing works, which capture repetitive motion in textured imprints, challenge perceptions of abstraction and performance. Meanwhile, Halsey’s relief works, which integrate signage and symbols from her Los Angeles neighborhood, serve as both urban archaeology and a meditation on community identity.
Anadol, known for his data-driven AI works, contributes a piece derived from meteorological information across California, transforming intangible environmental data into immersive, undulating abstractions. In contrast, Wolfson’s animatronic sculpture—a haunting, lifelike female figure that oscillates between seductive and unsettling—confronts viewers with questions of surveillance, agency, and technological intimacy.
A New Model for Artistic Engagement
Jordan Wolson, “Female Figure,” 2014, mixed media, ©Jordan Wolfson, courtesy of the artist and AMA Collection, installation view by Sebastiano Pellion di Persano.
AMA Venezia’s approach to contemporary art is not solely about display; it is about fostering deep engagement. Asscher envisions the foundation as a site for artistic experimentation, where artists are invited to create new work within the space. This philosophy aligns with models set by institutions such as Glenstone, Dia, and Schaulager, which prioritize artist-driven initiatives and immersive experiences over conventional museum structures.
In an era where private collections often remain sequestered in storage or accessible only to a privileged few, AMA Venezia seeks to democratize access to exceptional art. As Asscher states, success will not be measured by visitor numbers but by the depth of the experience—by the conversations sparked, the inspiration ignited, and the creative possibilities opened.
Venice’s Evolving Role in Contemporary Art
Wade Guyton, “Four Fires,” 2021, courtesy of the artist and AMA Collection, installation view by Sebastiano Pellion di Persano.
With each passing Biennale, Venice reaffirms its status as a global epicenter for contemporary art. Beyond its famed international exhibitions, the city is witnessing a surge in new cultural spaces that challenge traditional museum paradigms. AMA Venezia joins a growing network of forward-thinking institutions that recognize the need for new models of artistic engagement—ones that embrace risk, celebrate innovation, and foreground the voices of living artists.
By situating itself within this evolving landscape, AMA Venezia embodies the spirit of contemporary Venice: a city that reveres its past while continuously redefining its artistic future. With its rich collection, visionary programming, and commitment to fostering dialogue, AMA Venezia is poised to leave an indelible mark on the city’s cultural fabric.
As it opens its doors, AMA Venezia extends an invitation to visitors, artists, and thinkers alike: to explore, to reflect, and to participate in an ongoing conversation about the power of contemporary art to shape our world. In doing so, it ensures that Venice remains not just a repository of history but a living, breathing space for artistic and intellectual exchange.
Jeff Koons, “Hulk Elvis Serie (Rock),” 2004-2013, polychromed bronze and marble, ©Jeff Koons, courtesy of the artist and AMA Collection, installation view by Sebastiano Pellion di Persano.
