Antonello Viola's Gold of the Lagoon at Ca' Pesaro Evokes Venice

Antonello Viola's exhibition 'L'Oro della Laguna' at Ca' Pesaro in Venice presents abstract works on Japanese paper and glass that evoke memories and emotions of Venice and its islands. Curated by Elisabetta Barisoni, the show marks a new phase in Viola's research, introducing acidic and bright colors alongside gold pigment used not as precious metal but as pure color to capture light. Viola's conceptual approach distances itself from forms and narratives, focusing on emotional residues of experiences. The exhibition includes three works from 2012 reworked for this context, highlighting a process of layering and memory. Barisoni contrasts this human emotional depth with AI's inability to translate information into feelings. The installation creates a dialogue with the space and light of Ca' Pesaro, also in proximity to a show on symbolist Aristide Sartorio, with whom Viola shares a spiritual view of art. The works, painted on both sides of glass, interact with light to produce multiple colors.