Jan Fabre on Glass, Bones, and Controversy in Venice

Jan Fabre presents 'Glass and Bone Sculptures 1977-2017' in Venice, an exhibition planned three years ago with Giacinto Di Pietrantonio and master glassmaker Berengo. The show, held in a former monastery chosen by Di Pietrantonio and Edoardo Cimadori, spans works from the 1970s to today, exploring themes of organicity, decomposition, life, and death. Fabre's first glass and bone work, 'The Pacifier' (1977), symbolizes his view of art as both reassuring and wounding. He first exhibited in Venice in 1984 at the Belgian Pavilion during the Biennale, where his theater piece 'The Power of Theatrical Madness' was created. Fabre connects his Flemish background to Italian and Venetian contexts, noting a work referencing Carnival and an installation 'The Catacombs of the Dead Street Dogs' using abandoned dogs from Belgium, Netherlands, and France. He contrasts his Belgian identity with friend Damien Hirst's 'British Empire' aesthetic. Fabre dismisses animal rights protests against his work as radical and unwilling to dialogue, citing protests in Florence and St. Petersburg, where the show attracted over a million visitors. Upcoming projects include a solo show at Studio Trisorio in Naples from June 28, featuring two films and brain sculptures, and a new work 'Belgian Rules' for the Napoli Teatro Festival, a homage to Belgium amid nationalist threats.