Galeries Bartoux chooses Venice for its first Italian location and brings new life to Cinema Accademia with 1,200 sqm dedicated to contemporary art, an immersive cinema, and a Café des Arts
Over twenty galleries across Europe and the United States, now also Venice: Galeries Bartoux opens its first Italian location at Campo de la Carità, inside the former Cinema Accademia, with 1,200 sqm transforming the historic building into a center for contemporary art. Leading the Venetian location is Lorenza Lain, member of the board of directors of the Foundation of Venice Civic Museums and now director of Galeries Bartoux Venice.
The group founded by Robert and Isabelle Bartoux in 1993 brings to the city the Bartoux Experience format: art gallery, 500 sqm immersive cinema 12 m high, and Café des Arts, managed by Maison Marcandole, with a private garden.
The restoration required two years to preserve the original wooden beams, exposed stone, and boiserie of the building that from 1928 to 2002 served as a landmark cinema for Venetians. The October 10 inauguration recorded nearly one thousand attendees among artists, collectors, and institutions, with guests Luca Zaia, president of the Veneto Region, and Ermelinda Damiano, president of the Venice City Council.
The works on display
The gallery presents works by international artists and young Italian talents. Among the names on display are Harding Meyer, Gabriel Moreno, Chris Carolina, Kadir Akyol for painting, and sculptures by Anna Masters, Christophe Gaignon, Corine van Voorbergen, Michel Bassompierre, Paul Beckrich and Vittorio Iavazzo. The space unfolds through various rooms where light marks the discovery of the works and transforms each environment into a journey between Great Masters and new generations of artists.
The immersive cinema debuts an original show created by French studio Superbien that imagines the Serenissima as Salvador Dalí’s surreal dream, where stone liquefies and palaces float in a dreamlike carnival.
Upcoming events
Wednesday, October 22, fashion meets contemporary art with the event Le Mani Sapienti during Venice Fashion Week. Ten designers present their creations among the gallery’s works: four Venetian designers – Alessandra Micolucci, BVL Venezia, Gaiofatto, Teod’Amar – and six designers from the Master’s Degree in Fashion at IUAV University of Venice selected on the theme Quiet Luxury: Anita Barbieri, Milena Brea, Rosa Capone, Sofia Corridori, Christian Garau, Angelica Stea Pontrelli.
The project, curated by Venezia da Vivere in support of conscious young brands, gives voice to creatives who reinterpret craftsmanship through the pursuit of sustainable fashion. The day opens with the talk Crafting luxury brands curated by Upskill 4.0.
Dalí and Venice in December
In December comes the exhibition Dalí is Venice in collaboration with Dalí Universe. Over twenty sculptures by the master of Surrealism from the Multiples and Museums collections are displayed in the gallery’s rooms, along with paintings and lithographs. The Catalan artist visited Venice several times: he participated in the 1954 Biennale, created a poster for Piazza San Marco in 1976, and in 1982 painted Othello rêvant de Venise.
Galeries Bartoux
Campo de la Carità, Ponte dell’Accademia, Dorsoduro
venice@galeries-bartoux.com
Instagram: @lesgaleriesbartoux
www.galeries-bartoux.com
Article by Lucia Pecoraro.
