Irene Cattaneo's Secret Garden Sculptures Transform Private Venetian Courtyard

In Venice, at Calle Pesaro 3922, Irene Cattaneo's sculptures are on display until September 30, transforming a private garden into a surreal space. The installation, titled 'Il Giardino Segreto' (The Secret Garden), is a collaboration with Lo Studio – Nadja Romain and Galerie Gastou. The title references the 1910 novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett and its film adaptations, particularly the 1990s film that Cattaneo recalls from her childhood. The garden, normally closed to the public, becomes a liminal space between reality and fantasy. Cattaneo's bronze sculptures, with their dark patinas, are designed to interact with the elements, showing the passage of time. The artist emphasizes the importance of local craftsmanship, noting that her collaboration with artisans, especially in Murano glass, has been essential to her work. She also participated in the Murano Illumina il Mondo project, where her work was selected last November. Cattaneo, who is half German and half Italian, left Italy at 18 but returned due to her connection with artisans. The exhibition is open to the public despite being in a private space, and Cattaneo invites everyone to enter and discover the secret garden.