Pre-Columbian Art from the Ligabue Collection Debuts in Venice

The exhibition 'Il mondo che non c’era. L’arte precolombiana nella Collezione Ligabue' has opened at Palazzo Loredan, home of the Istituto Veneto di Scienze, Lettere ed Arti in Venice, running until June 30. It showcases masterpieces from the Ligabue Collection, one of Italy's most comprehensive holdings of pre-Columbian art, displayed publicly for the first time. The collection spans ancient cultures of Mesoamerica (Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, El Salvador), Panama, and the Andes (Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina), from Chavín to Tiahuanaco, Moche, and Inca. The exhibition was conceived shortly after the death of Giancarlo Ligabue—entrepreneur, paleontologist, archaeologist, and collector—by his son Inti, who continues his father's legacy through the Fondazione Giancarlo Ligabue. The show is curated by Jacques Blazy, a specialist in pre-Hispanic arts, with a scientific committee including André Delpuech, director of the Musée de l'Homme in Paris, and Peruvian archaeologist Federico Kauffmann Doig. The Venetian edition is particularly significant: Venice was a major center for publishing news from the New World in the 16th century, second only to Paris. The exhibition's setting in the library of Palazzo Loredan juxtaposes pre-Columbian statuettes and gold with Venetian chandeliers, inlays, and books, creating a dialogue between two worlds. The show has previously traveled to Florence, Rovereto, and Naples.