Michele De Lucchi's Blue Wooden Installation at Venice's Scuola Grande di San Marco

On June 13, a special edition of ARTalk was held at the Scuola Grande di San Marco in Venice, focusing on the Madonna dell'umiltà e angeli by Lippo di Dalmasio (c. 1353–1410), part of the BPER Banca collection. The event took place under a newly installed wooden sculpture by architect Michele De Lucchi, titled 'Il cielo sopra al portego.' The blue-painted wooden piece spans the entire length of the atrium of the Ospedale SS. Giovanni e Paolo, housed within the Scuola Grande. De Lucchi's intervention is part of the 'Nel segno della Cura' program by the Fondazione Scuola Grande di San Marco, which links healthcare with art and architecture. The installation evokes a vault and engages with Le Corbusier's unbuilt project for the Venice Hospital. During the ARTalk, De Lucchi emphasized the importance of combining scientific and humanistic culture, noting that ceilings are the most beautiful yet forgotten part of architecture, especially significant for those bedridden due to illness. The Fondazione Scuola Grande di San Marco is hosting two works from the BPER Banca collection: the Lippo di Dalmasio piece and a Crucifixion by Girolamo da Carpi, to be installed between August and September. Art historian Lucia Peruzzi will discuss the secrets behind these works, promoting a slow, intimate viewing experience reminiscent of Philippe Daverio's approach.