Irene Cattaneo on Venice, Motherhood, and the Poetry of Material

German-Italian artist Irene Cattaneo, who relocated to Venice in 2021, discusses her evolving practice in an interview with Whitewall. Her work spans glass, bronze, and stone, shaped by collaboration with local artisans and literary references. During the 2026 Biennale, she presents her first installation as a mother, created around the idea of a Secret Garden, referencing the 1993 film. Cattaneo describes how motherhood transformed her artistic practice and her experience of the Biennale. She cites specific Venetian places that inspire her: the island of Da Nane, Murano's glass workshops, the antique market at Campo San Maurizio, and a walk from Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute to Zattere. The interview explores the tension between history and ephemerality in Venice, with Cattaneo noting that history is 'time made visible.' She emphasizes the city's density during the Biennale as overwhelming yet stimulating.