Vittorio Marella on Living and Painting at the Venice Biennale's Padiglione Venezia

Vittorio Marella (b. 1997, Venice) lived and worked inside the Padiglione Venezia at the Giardini during the 2024 Venice Biennale, creating the large-scale painting 'Under the Weight of a Heavy Sun' (4.5 x 4.5 m). The work depicts a dune protecting winter huts on the Lido, with two embracing figures as a metaphor for humanity seeking refuge in loved ones amid an arid world. Marella incorporated sticks from the garden into the canvas. The exhibition, curated by Giovanna Zabotti under the title 'Sestante Domestico', also featured Pietro Ruffo, Franco Arminio, and Safet Zec. Marella reflected on the Biennale theme 'Stranieri Ovunque' (Foreigners Everywhere) by Adriano Pedrosa, noting that feeling like a stranger can occur even at home. He worked ten-hour days for two months, often painting at night, and was mistaken for a performance artist during pre-opening days. The experience, he says, expanded his ambitions: he is planning a major museum show (details undisclosed), a December exhibition in Tokyo, a group show in Naples with Nicola Samorì and Marius Bercea, and a New York presentation with Amanita alongside Chantal Joffe, Milton Resnick, Joan Mitchell, and Alice Neel. He will continue the 'Under the Weight of a Heavy Sun' series for the next year and a half. Marella also cited a conversation with artist Fabrizio Plessi, who told him that once ideas expand, there is no going back. The interview was conducted by Rebecca Gnignati for Artribune.