Fortuny and Minassian Converge in a Giudecca Villa Exhibition During Venice Architecture Biennale

During the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale, an exhibition at Palazzina Fortuny on Giudecca island brings together the legacies of Mariano Fortuny y Madrazo (1871–1949) and Chahan Minassian (b. 1961). Curated by Minassian, the show blends Fortuny textiles—including the new Armonia collection co-designed by Minassian and creative director Mickey Riad—with Mid-Century furniture, collectible pieces, glass, and artworks such as Pierre Sabatier's sculptural walls. The villa, once home to American decorator Elsie McNeill Lee (later Countess Gozzi), who succeeded Fortuny, now operates as a showroom open by appointment during the Biennale. Minassian reoriented traditional Fortuny patterns from vertical to horizontal and shifted color palettes to mineral tones (cream, white, pink, pale gray, bronze, brown). The exhibition also features Fortuny's history: his textile factory founded in 1919, the Delphos dress worn by Isadora Duncan and Eleonora Duse, and his over twenty inventions. Minassian cites Venice's architecture and light as ongoing inspiration, describing the city as an open book for creative reinterpretation.