Marni’s ever-morphing identity continues to evolve with the exhibition “Becoming Marni” on view at the Venice Biennale. It is a site-specific installation occupying the spaces of San Gregorio Abbey in Venice with 100 wooden sculptures created by self-taught Brazilian artist, Véio. Typically, this space is closed to the public, but from now through November, guests may enjoy their time meandering around this historic space. “Becoming Marni” is the concluding act of Marni Prisma’s series of events, and it assists in celebrating Marni’s 20th anniversary.
To coincide with the 56th Venice Art Biennale’s theme, Marni and Véio teamed up to produce an ideal, colorfully contaminated world, that is bold, charming, and full of future possibilities. Carolina Castiglioni, Marni’s creative director of special projects, partnered with Beyond Entropy Ltd.’s founder and architect, Stefano Rabolli Pansera, to create something truly unique: a colorful tactile path, mimicking Venice’s waterways, complemented by a collection of indoor and outdoor sculptures to lead the guests in and out of the Abbey rooms. Each piece of wood used in the sculptures is sourced by the river, and Véio finds its identity quickly. Whether he sees it to be a human or an animal, each piece is clipped, shaved, and colored to portray its final intention, resulting in a standout sculpture of color in blue, black, red, yellow, and white.
Additionally, two aspects of Véio’s creative process are also on view. In a discrete corner of the courtyard, Véio has set up his personal workshop, enabling him to work on new creations on site. Italian artists Tellas and Robert Ciredz have also documented his performance by video, and the film is shown, as further dialogue to his practice, inside of an Abbey room.
In this installation, Marni repels the idea of a static, one-dimensional, present world, and introduces a colorful, and multicultural exhibition to experience.
“Becoming Marni” is on view in Venice through November 22.
