From Kandinsky to Botero, one hundred tapestries on display in Venice for an unprecedented exhibition. Photos

It is titled From Kandinsky to Botero all in a Thread the exhibition that, from November 1, 2018 to May 1, 2019, comes to life in the spaces of Palazzo Zaguri in Venice. It is an unprecedented exhibition, an international event showcasing dozens of tapestries made from the works of great 20th-century and contemporary artists(Vasily Kandinsky, Paul Klee, Giorgio De Chirico, Henri Matisse, Joan Miró, Andy Warhol, Fernando Botero), displayed on the palace’s four floors. Most of the tapestries come from one of the last tapestries in Italy, the manufactory founded in 1960 by Ugo Scassa, who always had the dream, unfortunately never realized when he was alive, of seeing his tapestries displayed in Venice. The exhibition at Palazzo Zaguri is an opportunity to fulfill this dream: these are hand-woven artifacts that, the organizers promise, will be able to captivate visitors because of the fineness of the warp, and the ability to evoke the colors of the great masters.

“A unique exhibition in the world,” reads the presentation, "an international premiere event. An important cultural project, born from the desire to tell the story of the adventure of art that renews itself, through drawing, tradition and innovation, the exhibition will present extraordinary works, created throughout the arc of the twentieth century, always moving between research and experimentation. There will be no shortage of true discoveries, works presented to the public for the first time, contaminating values and suggesting a rich and lively dialogue with the presentation of works by important contemporary artists, selected to create an artistic continuity beyond material and time. Therefore, the exhibition From Kandinsky to Botero all in a thread will present itself as a great exhibition moment, in which sculpture, painting and drawing, ancient and modern, will testify in full voice that Art is indeed an unbroken thread."

There will then also be a moment of. re-enactment: since many tapestries from the Scassa manufactory decorated the party rooms of the great Italian turbo ships, from the Leonardo to the Michelangelo via the Raffaello, the glittering world of transoceanic voyages will be brought back to life by projections showing the audience images from the film The Legend of the Pianist on the Ocean, so that visual and auditory perception will take the visitor to the middle of the sea, in a fairy-tale and almost surreal atmosphere. In addition, the itinerary will be punctuated by the narration of Vittorio Sgarbi, who will be the voice of the free audio guides that will take visitors on a journey that mixes art, workshop and school crafts, ancient traditions and, of course, history. Indeed, even the exhibition venue is linked to the history of textiles: Palazzo Zaguri was erected between the 14th and 15th centuries at the behest of the Pasqualini family, famous silk merchants. So, it is precisely the wefts and warps, the protagonists of this unprecedented exhibition that combines history and current events.

“One hundred works of art ready to dialogue with 47 tapestries from the Scassa manufactory,” says the curator, Donatella Avanzo. “The tapestries are kept today in the tapestry shop and in important galleries and institutions. They come here to Venice to find a place in a magnificent palace that is Palazzo Zaguri. An exhibition that compares the artists of today together with the tapestries of yesterday, the famous tapestries of the 20th century.”

The exhibition opens daily (except Monday, closing day) from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (ticket office closes at 5 p.m.). Tickets: full price with audioguide 16 euros, reduced price with audioguide 14 euros (for disabled, over 65, students, teachers and residents of Venice), reduced price children 12 euros (from 6 to 14 years old), reduced price groups 12 euros (at least 10 people), free for children up to 5 years old and accompanying non-self-sufficient disabled people. For all info you can visit the exhibition website, or the Palazzo Zaguri website.

Below is a selection of the tapestries on display.

Vasily Kandinsky, Sketch for Composition II

Paul Klee, Night Flowers

Henri Matisse, Creole Dancer

Giorgio De Chirico, The Red Tower

Corrado Cagli, The Hunt

Joan Miró, Composition

Renzo Piano, Kansai

From Kandinsky to Botero, one hundred tapestries on display in Venice for an unprecedented exhibition. Photos

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