Studio 454 Opens in Venice as a New Hub for Artist Books

Tiane Doan na Champassak, a French artist of Vietnamese descent born in 1973, has inaugurated Studio 454 in Venice's Giudecca district, taking over the former Nuova Icona gallery space. This venue acts as both his home and studio, showcasing his collection of artist books, with plans for exhibitions every two years aligned with the Venice Biennale. The first exhibition, titled "Burning Matters," is on view until November 27, 2022, and is curated by Champassak alongside independent researcher Larisa Oancea. The exhibition explores the postmodern evolution of artist books from the 1950s to the 1960s through the theme of fire, featuring works by artists such as Ed Ruscha, Bruce Nauman, and Daisuke Yokota. Champassak also presents a video of his performance burning pages from Yokota's book, echoing Nauman's original act, along with an installation of ashes and limited editions. Splitting his time between Paris and Venice, Champassak has previously collaborated with Agence Vu and has received accolades including a World Press Photo award and the Roger Pic Prize, with his works held in prestigious institutions like Centre Pompidou and MoMA.