Giampaolo Babetto's Venice Exhibition Blurs Art and Jewelry

Giampaolo Babetto, a Padua-born goldsmith (1947) with works in 42 museums worldwide, presents a solo exhibition at the Basilica of San Giorgio Maggiore in Venice. The show features drawings from the 1970s, conceptual wall pieces, and jewelry that challenge boundaries between high craftsmanship and art. Babetto's technique includes lost-wax casting adapted to 'lost branch' casting, where plant material burns away to be replaced by bronze. His recent sacred art commissions for the Church of San Michele in Munich and other places of worship reflect a renewed interest in contemporary art by religious institutions. The exhibition includes interactive elements, such as a large silver bowl that flexes under touch, and a paten whose weight is emphasized. A glass sculpture on the high altar's back interacts with the Four Evangelists group, while a gilded branch (Tree of Jesse) rests on celestial pigment on the choir lectern. The show explores spiritual themes through materials like gold, silver, and glass.