Austin Young / Fallen Fruit
Marriage of the Sea (the rape of Venice) / Sposalizio del Mare (il ratto di Venezia)
April 18 – June 30 2024

Presented by THE POOL NYC at historic Palazzo Cesari Marchesi, Venice, Italy

Read interview with Austin Young  in ART magazine HERE

THE POOL NYC presents Marriage of the Sea (the rape of Venice), a new artwork by Austin Young / Fallen Fruit at Palazzo Cesari Marchesi. 

‘Marriage of the Sea (The Rape of Venice)’  weaves a visual and conceptual narrative about the ancestral bond between La Serenissima  and the Adriatic Sea. The exhibition will consist of a new large-scale artwork created for Venice and printed onto fabric wall covering and sheer curtains.As an artist, I attempt to change the way you feel upon entering a room, aiming to share my perceptions through a sublime, aesthetic experience.” says Young.  The artwork is a celebration of the lagoon, comprising a kaleidoscopic portrait of Venice, a collage of the artist’s original photographs and images found in archives during visits to the city’s museums, churches and palazzos

For hundreds of years on Ascension Day, a sacrifice was made. A glorious golden ring was thrown into the water that affirmed Venice’s dominion over the Adriatic Sea. The magic of this divine sacrifice was so powerful that it lasted centuries. Amid a dwindling population, the fouling of her canals, increasingly encroaching tides, and the loss of community through short term rentals, it is time to re-invoke this ancient vow: ‘Desponsamus te, mare, in signum veri perpetuique dominii!’ We marry you, sea, as a symbol of true and perpetual dominion!”

 

Title: Marriage of the Sea (the rape of Venice) /  Sposalizio del Mare (il ratto di Venezia)

Artist: Austin Young / Fallen Fruit

Where: THE POOL NYC at PALAZZO CESARI MARCHESI

Calle Rombiasio 2539, Campo Santa Maria del Giglio, 30124 Venice

Vaporetto: Giglio

Hours: 11am- 1pm/ 2- 7 pm – Closed on Tuesdays

Technical sponsor: PROMEMORIA

 


ABOUT AUSTIN YOUNG 

Austin Young is a multidisciplinary artist whose trademark style interprets a nuanced visual language of beauty, pop culture, art history, folk art, and transgressive underground exuberance. Whether he’s working in photography and video-based modes of performative portraiture, engaging in assertive visibility for Queer culture, or advocating for a community-based resource sharing culture, Young’s interest is in illustrating the sublime qualities of humanity that moves us all forward.
Fallen Fruit is an art collaboration originally conceived in 2004 by David Burns, Matias Viegener and Austin Young. Since 2013, David and Austin have continued the collaborative work.  Much of the work they create is linked to ideas of place and generational knowledge, and it echoes a sense of connectedness with something very primal – our capacity to share the world with others. Recent permanent artworks and museum exhibitions include Chiotro del Bramante in Rome, Accademia Carrara in Bergamo, Orto Botanico in Palermo, V&A in London, LACMA in Los Angeles, Manifesta 12 in Palermo, NGV Triennial  in Melbourne, and more.
www.austinyoung.com www.fallenfruit.org
Instagram: @austinyoungforever @fallen_fruit 

 

A participatory project was programmed at the opening of the exhibition with artist Irene Machetti where everyone is invited to marry the sea, challenging visitors to rethink the idea of dominion over the sea.

 

Sposalizio del Mare (il ratto di Venezia) tesse un affascinante racconto visivo e concettuale sul legame ancestrale tra la Serenissima e l’Adriatico. Austin Young / Fallen Fruit realizza un inedito ed immersivo wall covering di grandi dimensioni creato appositamente per Venezia. Tessuto e tende velate rivestono le pareti e le finestre del palazzo.

Come artista, cerco di creare un’esperienza sublime che cambia le sensazioni una volta entrati nella stanza. L’obiettivo è di condividere le mie percezioni attraverso un’avventura estetica”, afferma Young.

Il lavoro di Austin Young è insieme celebrazione e ritratto di Venezia, è un collage di fotografie originali dell’artista e di immagini tratte dagli archivi durante le sue visite nei musei, nelle chiese e nei palazzi della città.

L’artista americano spiega: “Per centinaia di anni, nel giorno dell’Ascensione, è stato compiuto un sacrificio. Si gettava in acqua un glorioso anello d’oro che affermava il dominio di Venezia sull’Adriatico. La magia di questo sacrificio divino è stato così potente da durare per secoli. Tra la diminuzione della popolazione, l’incrostazione dei canali, le maree sempre più alte e la perdita della comunità a causa degli affitti a breve termine, è tempo di rievocare questo antico voto: “Desponsamus te, mare, in signum veri perpetuique dominii! Ti sposiamo, mare, come simbolo del vero e perpetuo dominio!”.

Per l’evento di apertura del 18 Aprile è previsto un progetto partecipativo con l’artista Irene Machetti. I visitatori sono invitati a sposare il mare.

Viola Romoli e Luigi Franchin, direttori di THE POOL NYC, affermano: “Questa coinvolgente installazione d’arte, sublime e immersiva rappresenta un’immagine allegorica di Venezia sedotta dal turismo, una città che ha sacrificato il suo capitale culturale e l’ambiente per avidità. Un’accurata ricerca della bellezza, dell’identità e delle norme sociali permea il lavoro dell’artista, conferendogli una profondità e una rilevanza che fa presa con il pubblico di tutto il mondo.”

ABOUT THE POOL NYC 

THE POOL NYC is a contemporary art gallery founded in New York in 2009, specializing in modern and contemporary artists and Murano glass. In November 2017 THE POOL NYC opened a permanent home in Palazzo Fagnani Ronzoni in Milan. On the occasion of the Venice Biennale, the gallery organizes a major art exhibition in the lagoon. The gallery stands out for its search for innovative artistic expressions and the rediscovery of artists fundamental to the History of the 20th century. THE POOL NYC is committed to offer an inclusive and diverse platform, welcoming a wide range of artistic mediums, including painting, sculpture, photography and installations. With a focus on experimentation and critical reflection, the gallery promotes meaningful dialogues on contemporary issues through art.