Melissa McGill's 'AQUAE' Exhibition in Venice Explores Water and Community

Melissa McGill (born 1969, Rhode Island) presents 'AQUAE' at Galleria 10 & zero uno in Venice, running until June 20, 2026. The exhibition traces her three-decade practice centered on water, landscape, and community. Works include the 'Eridanus' series, made by altering maps of the Venice Lagoon and Po Delta with natural pigments; 'Lagoon Watercolor Studies' painted with lagoon water; and a photograph of 'Red Regatta' (2019), which involved over 250 Venetians. Concurrently, McGill completed 'Marea' (April–May 2026) in Corte Nova, Castello district, a participatory project using traditional laundry lines to display painted sheets that evoke waves and community memory, addressing urban identity, climate change, and tourism pressure. McGill, an interdisciplinary artist and activist, has received the 2026 Rockefeller Foundation residency at Bellagio Center and a National Endowment for the Arts ArtWorks Grant. Her notable projects include 'Red Regatta' (2019) and 'A Lake Story' (2025, Toronto).