Floating Eyes Installation by S.O.B. Navigates Venice Lagoon

Artist S.O.B. Stefano Ogliari Badessi led a workshop titled 'Chi guarda cosa?' from May 14 to 16, 2021, on the island of Certosa in Venice, as part of the SuperaMenti project. The project, a series of four workshops organized by the Peggy Guggenheim Collection and the Swatch Art Peace Hotel, aimed to engage under-25 participants (Generation Z) in creative processes for a new normal. The workshop focused on the relationship between Venice and its waters, resulting in an installation of two floating eyes made from recycled materials, initially inflatable and later constructed from wood and other recycled materials. The eyes were towed through the northern Venice Lagoon on silent electric boats, symbolizing the city's liquid soul. Previous workshops were led by Jan Vormann, Alice Pasquini, and Cecilia Jansson. Carlo Giordanetti, CEO of Swatch Art Peace Hotel and head of Swatch creativity, noted that the collaboration with S.O.B. began in Shanghai and has included various magical locations. The partnership between Swatch and the Guggenheim may continue. The project was conceived before the pandemic and successfully adapted. S.O.B.'s installation draws inspiration from Amedeo Modigliani's quote, 'When I know your soul, I will paint your eyes.'