Elio Mariani's Blackout at The Venice Venice Hotel

The Venice Venice Hotel, located in the historic Ca' da Mosto palace, is hosting a solo exhibition of Elio Mariani (born 1943, Milan) titled Blackout, on view until October 26. The show occupies the sotoportego, a former mercantile passage, and explores mechanical reproduction's challenge to traditional art boundaries. Mariani, an underrecognized figure of the Mec-Art movement (supported by critic Pierre Restany), developed one of Italy's first systematic approaches to photographic emulsion on canvas in the 1960s, working alongside Restany, Gianni Bertini, and Mimmo Rotella. His work evolved from media culture and commercial imagery to investigations of human relations, time, and memory. The hotel's Postvenetian philosophy celebrates Venetian heritage through cultural programming. Additionally, Room 44 – Back to Light transforms the reception space into an artistic statement, offering guests direct engagement with Mariani's techniques.