Anish Kapoor's Dual-Venue Retrospective Opens in Venice During Biennale
A significant retrospective of Anish Kapoor has been inaugurated at the Gallerie dell'Accademia in Venice, coinciding with Cecilia Alemani's Biennale. Curated by Taco Dibbits, the exhibition encompasses the Accademia galleries and Palazzo Manfrin, which are united by the Manfrin family's painting collection from 1856. Kapoor, who has a profound connection to Venice, delves into themes of beauty and violence, as well as light and shadow. His artwork interacts with 14th- and early-15th-century Venetian gold-ground paintings, featuring a recent creation utilizing Kapoor Black, a pigment he secured exclusive rights to in 2016. Notable pieces include Shooting Into the Corner and Pregnant White Within Me at the Accademia, along with Mount Moriah at the Gate of the Ghetto and Symphony for a Beloved Sun at Palazzo Manfrin.
Key facts
- Retrospective at Gallerie dell'Accademia and Palazzo Manfrin, Venice
- Curated by Taco Dibbits
- Fourth contemporary art show concurrent with Biennale curated by Cecilia Alemani
- Palazzo Manfrin houses the Anish Kapoor Foundation
- Manfrin painting collection from 1856 forms part of Accademia's core holdings
- Kapoor Black (formerly Vantablack) absorbs over 99.9% of visible light
- Kapoor acquired exclusive rights from Surrey NanoSystem in 2016
- Shooting Into the Corner fires 11-kg red wax projectiles
- Symphony for a Beloved Sun (2013) references mechanized death and the Holocaust
- Norman Rosenthal's catalogue essay uses 'terribilità' to describe Kapoor's work
Entities
Artists
- Anish Kapoor
- Mario Merz
- Philip Guston
- George Baselitz
- Cecilia Alemani
- Homi K. Bhabha
- Norman Rosenthal
- Donatella Giordano
Institutions
- Gallerie dell'Accademia
- Palazzo Manfrin
- Anish Kapoor Foundation
- Surrey NanoSystem
- Artribune
- Biennale di Venezia
- Rijksmuseum
Locations
- Venice
- Mumbai
- Italy
- India
- Amsterdam
- Netherlands