A Venezia il famoso street artist JR avvolge completamente un palazzo storico con un’installazione
Street artist JR has wrapped the historic Palazzo Ca' da Mosto in Venice—now the Venice Venice Hotel—with a large-scale installation timed to the 61st Venice Biennale. The project, titled "Il Gesto," reinterprets Paolo Veronese's 1563 masterpiece "The Wedding at Cana" as a contemporary fresco featuring 176 people from the Refettorio Paris community kitchen. Inside the palazzo, an immersive installation combines photographic portraits, reflective surfaces, and audio recordings to create a layered narrative. A monumental tapestry woven by Giovanni Bonotto and the Fondazione Bonotto, made from recycled plastic, wool, cotton, and washi paper, extends the work into a durable, contemplative form.
This project matters because it transforms a historic Venetian palace into a socially engaged artwork that centers often-invisible individuals—people experiencing hardship who are served by the community kitchen. By linking a canonical Renaissance painting to contemporary social issues, JR bridges art history with urgent questions of dignity, care, and visibility. The work also demonstrates how the Venice Biennale continues to serve as a platform for ambitious public art that engages both local architecture and global audiences, while the collaboration with the Fondazione Bonotto highlights the role of traditional craftsmanship in contemporary art.