Laurent Asscher's AMA Venezia foundation in Venice is showcasing Tino Sehgal's live performance piece "Kiss (Clean Version)" during the 61st Venice Biennale. The work features a nude couple reenacting famous kisses from art history, performed by rotating dancers over hours. Asscher acquired the piece after meeting Sehgal, having previously bought a different Sehgal work at a charity auction. The performance has become a standout attraction amid the Biennale's crowded opening week.
This matters because Sehgal's work challenges traditional art consumption by offering an ephemeral, living experience that cannot be captured in a painting or sculpture. The piece's provocative nudity and intimate choreography spark conversations about voyeurism, performance art, and the boundaries of public art. As the Biennale draws the global art world's elite, Sehgal's "constructed situation" reinforces his reputation for creating immersive, human-centered encounters that resist commodification and digital reproduction.