Ocean Space in Venice Reopens with 'Thus Waves Come in Pairs'

Ocean Space, the contemporary art venue housed in the Church of San Lorenzo in Venice, reopened on August 10, 2023, with a special evening event for the night of San Lorenzo. The exhibition 'Thus waves come in pairs,' curated by Barbara Casavecchia, marks the conclusion of the three-year program 'The Current III' commissioned by TBA21–Academy. The show features new commissions by Simone Fattal (Syria, 1942) and the duo Petrit Halilaj (Kosovo, 1986) & Álvaro Urbano (Spain, 1983), exploring the theme of the Mediterranean(s). Fattal's installation 'Sempre il mare, uomo libero, amerai!' includes ceramics and glass, with a title from Baudelaire, and incorporates a reflective surface with the phrase 'know thyself,' a large ceramic bricola inspired by Venetian mooring poles, and Murano glass spheres inscribed with a hybrid lingua franca. Halilaj and Urbano's 'Lunar Ensemble for Uprising Seas' comprises over 40 sculptures of aquatic and terrestrial creatures, periodically activated by performers. The exhibition draws its title from Etel Adnan's poem 'Sea and Fog' and is accompanied by a publication designed by Giacomo Covacich of bruno and published by Sternberg Press. The broader program 'Mediterraneans' includes walks, performances, and conversations integrating art, science, and activism, reflecting on the plural nature of the Mediterranean as a cultural and ecological entity.