Sanya Kantarovsky's 'Basic Failure' Opens in Venice During Biennale

Sanya Kantarovsky, a 44-year-old Russian-born artist, has opened a new exhibition titled 'Basic Failure' at Venice's Institute of Sciences, Letters and Arts, timed to coincide with the Venice Biennale. The show features paintings filled with Christian iconography and haunting depictions of children, continuing the otherworldly intensity of his work. The exhibition opens with 'Boy With Cigarette,' a portrait of a pale, downturned boy caressing an unlit cigarette. Kantarovsky describes his process as like a Ouija board, listening to the painting. The venue is a palazzo with high ceilings, dark terrazzo-marbled floors, and walls lined with antique books.