vincenzo de cotiis foundation inauguration and opening show in venice

opening of Vincenzo De Cotiis Foundation

Vincenzo De Cotiis Foundation announces its inauguration in Venice. Opening on 19 April 2024, the new Foundation will host a program of exhibitions, public art installations, and publications dedicated to advancing the understanding and appreciation of contemporary art and design. The Foundation has been conceived from the entity previously known as De Cotiis Venice, and will now permanently reside at Palazzo Giustinian Lolin on the banks of the Grand Canal in Venice. The 15th-century Palazzo provides a striking backdrop to exhibit contemporary art and is in line with De Cotiis’ aesthetic as an artist who explores the contemporary with the past, often showcasing his work in a historic setting. Opening to coincide with La Biennale di Venezia, the Foundation will unveil its inaugural exhibition Archaeology Of Consciousness Venice, from 19 April – 24 November, 2024.

installation view, Archaeology Of Consciousness Venice, April 19 – Nov 24, 2024 | image © Wichmann + Bendtsen Photography, all courtesy Vincenzo de Cotiis Foundation

Archaeology Of Consciousness Venice: a passage through time

As if risen from the waters of the surrounding lagoon, three monumental arches from Vincenzo De Cotiis’ acclaimed series will be installed in the courtyard of Palazzo Giustinian Lolin, mediating between the cultural heritage of La Serenissima and De Cotiis’ modern artistic vision. Symbolizing past, present, and future, the trio of arches demarcates a distinct temporal perspective, uniting to forge a passage through time that can be experienced by moving through and under the installation. Each artwork will express this passage, incorporating ancient stones and marble, also using Murano glass to specifically locate them in a Venetian context and fiberglass to reference the artist’s futuristic ambitions.

image © Wichmann + Bendtsen Photography

‘Archaeology Of Consciousness Venice is a summation of deep introspection, expressed as a series of transitions through time and also through the layers of my subconscious. […]The arch is an old structure, one that has served countless civilizations both structurally and aesthetically. My artworks, however, stand removed from function and instead offer significant value to those who experience them as portals to philosophical understanding and spiritual enlightenment,’ shares Vincenzo De Cotiis.

image © Wichmann + Bendtsen Photography

The exhibition pairs Venice’s artistic and architectural heritage with contemporary art, focusing on the interplay between traditional and contemporary expression. The three arches feature hand-painted recycled fiberglass, ancient stones such as Rhodonite, and Murano glass. Fascinated by light and material, the artist is heavily influenced by the singularly refractive properties of Murano glass, which he uses to represent water. Combined, marble and Murano glass signify Venice’s buildings and lagoon, respectively. The archways celebrate the architectural features of the ancient city.

Vincenzo De Cotiis, DC2312 VENICE, 2023 | blown murano glass, cast brass, 41 x 40 x 40 cm | limited edition of 20 + 4 AP

Able to be seen from the Grand Canal through the Palazzo’s water door, the sculptures’ vaulted forms reinterpret the gateway and form an intuitive dialogue with the arches that line and support Palazzo Giustinian Lolin’s famous facade by Baldassare Longhena in circa 1630 to utilize columns of all three classical orders: Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian. Contrary to Longhena’s symmetrical structures, De Cotiis critiques the idealized arch form and presents his trio as sculptural and evocative forms.

Vincenzo De Cotiis, UNTITLED 58 VENICE, 2023 | hand-painted recycled fiberglass, stromatolite, 80 x 56 x 50 cm  | unique