Parallel to the 59th International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia, the Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana showcases works by Austrian artist Erwin Wurm in its historic Sale Monumentali, accessible via the Museo Correr on St. Mark’s Square in Venice.

In the solo exhibition Avatars, Wurm’s sculptural works engage in a compelling dialogue with the monumental wall and ceiling paintings of Titian, Tintoretto, and Veronese.

A highlight of the exhibition is a new body of work titled Skins. In stark contrast to his iconic Fat sculptures, these pieces explore a deliberate reduction of volume. Delicate and seemingly fragile, the sculptures—some towering up to four meters—depict fragmented, silhouette-like human forms clad in jeans, shirts, and sneakers. Captured in various poses, these figures reveal themselves fully only from a precise vantage point, inviting viewers into an intimate and spatially sensitive encounter.

Photo ©: AAP