A guide to Venice in winter with Man Ray, Carlo Scarpa, hot chocolate, and aperitifs under the stars
From the December 8th long weekend, it is already Christmas in Venice. Here is the Venezia da Vivere guide for strolling through the illuminations and glittering shop windows, visiting exhibitions, doing sustainable shopping, enjoying a cocktail, and discovering new aspects of Venice with us.
For the Immaculate Conception long weekend in San Marco
The Caffetteria del Museo Correr, located on the first floor of the Royal Palace of Venice and overlooking Piazza San Marco, is transformed into a meeting place open to everyone, even those without a Museum ticket, with the Aperitivi sotto le stelle (Aperitifs under the stars). Read more in our article Christmas 2022 Events in Venice.
The Procuratie Vecchie are open from Wednesday to Monday from 10 AM to 7 PM, with last entry at 6 PM, featuring the interactive exhibition A World of Potential by The Human Safety Net, which also offers a unique view of Piazza San Marco. The Cafè by Illy Caffè inside the Procuratie is the ideal place for a break among installations, books on Venice and for children, and for Sunday brunch.
Coming soon to the Negozio Olivetti is an exhibition on the evolution of the image of Piazza San Marco through etching, lithography, photography, and cinema, featuring optical views, a diorama, eighteenth-century telescopes, Kinora Lumière, and other curiosities from La Fabbrica del Vedere, the Archivio Carlo Montanaro – info@fabbricadelvedere.it.
After visiting the Doge’s Palace, the Basilica, the Archaeological Museum, or the St Mark’s Campanile, the walk concludes in style with traditional hot chocolate with whipped cream and pastries at Caffè Florian, a Venetian aperitif at Gran Caffè Lavena under the porticos of the Procuratie Vecchie, or a spritz at Caffe al Todaro, a must for enjoying the panoramic view of the San Marco Basin.
December inaugurations
From December 3 to January 3, 2023, Revelationis, a video installation of watercolors by the artist Claudia Alessi inspired by the work Annunciata by Antonello da Messina and the image of the Madonna with the blue veil by Giovanni Bellini. At Palazzo Contarini Polignac (Dorsoduro, 874 palazzocontarinipolignac@yahoo.com).
Alessi’s work, curated by the Venetian art critic Roberta Semeraro, emphasizes how the color blue is deeply spiritual and connected to the primary element of Venice: water as feminine, creation, and the divine.
From December 7 to February 5, 2023, …Del coraggio quotidiano (…Of daily courage) is the exhibition at the Scala Contarini del Bovolo (San Marco, 4303 cultura@fondazioneveneziaservizi.it) organized by Theke and the Fondazione Giovanni Santin Onlus. The catalog contains a folder of original graphics and a CD of music composed specifically by the Friulian artist Paolo Jus to document an exhibition project born from a dialogue between the works of the eighteenth-century artist Nicola Grassi and the contemporary research of Jus.
Among the art galleries in Venice, we highlight until December 23 the group exhibition Be Water, My Friend, curated by Chiara Vecchiarelli, featuring artists Luciana Lamothe, Jojo Gronostay, Eva L’Hoest, David Horvitz, Nicola Pecoraro, and Enrique Ramírez at the Venetian venue of the Galleria Alberta Pane (Dorsoduro 2403/H, Calle dei Guardiani info@albertapane.com).
Carlo Scarpa in Venice
November 28 marked the anniversary of the death of Carlo Scarpa, the great Venetian architect. His figure, as both a man and a designer, continues to inspire wonder. We recommend dedicating at least one day to discovering the places marked by his unmistakable signature.
Foremost among the Scarpa sites in Venice is the FAI Negozio Olivetti under the porticos of the Procuratie Vecchie in Piazza San Marco (fainegoziolivetti@fondoambiente.it).
The most beautiful modern restoration of an ancient palace is Carlo Scarpa’s restoration of the Fondazione Querini Stampalia in Santa Maria Formosa. With its library open until late at night even on holidays according to the founder’s wishes, and a house-museum rich in artworks from the Querini Stampalia family, it is also one of the key sites of contemporary architecture thanks to Scarpa and the subsequent projects by Valeriano Pastor and Mario Botta.
A pleasant stop on a journey of knowledge between architecture and flavors is the Caffè Letterario by Denis Marcante, which opens onto the Japanese garden by Carlo Scarpa, featuring water paths and water lilies. Here, the offering is available at the counter for a quick snack or at the table for coffee, lunch, and dinner, with seasonal recipes at accessible prices.
Campo Santa Maria Formosa 5252, www.querinistampalia.org.
Museums and major exhibitions
Until January 2, 2023, at the Burano Lace Museum, the exhibition Opera by Wanda Casaril, Elisabetta Di Sopra, and Ilaria Margutti is on display, curated by Francesca Brandes and organized as part of the third edition of the Biennale del Merletto (Lace Biennale).
Website: museomerletto
Piazza Baldassarre Galuppi, 187 Burano
Until January 6, 2023, in the Sala dello Scrutinio at the Doge’s Palace in Piazza San Marco, you can visit Questi scritti, quando verranno bruciati, daranno finalmente un po’ di luce (These writings, when burned, will finally shed some light) by Anselm Kiefer, an exhibition curated by Gabriella Belli and Janne Sirén.
Website: palazzoducale
Info: Piazza San Marco, 1 Venice
Until January 8, 2023 at Palazzo Grassi, the exhibition Marlene Dumas. open-end presents shameless, flaunted, and provocative bodies. “It is the pleasure of painting. The poses of pleasure, the privilege of being looked at, the games of seduction, the light of the night, nothing personal. Pure Pleasure.” from 1999 by the South African artist Marlene Dumas.
Website: palazzograssi
Info: Campo San Samuele, 3231 Venice
Until January 8, 2023 at the Island of San Giorgio for Le Stanze del Vetro, the exhibition Venini: Luce 1921 – 1985 curated by Marino Barovier is an in-depth look at the artistic production of the Venini glassworks in lighting for large public and private spaces, from ministerial buildings to post offices, from theaters to hotels, including pieces by Carlo Scarpa.
Website: lestanzedelvetro
Info: Isola di San Giorgio Maggiore, 8 Venice
Until January 15, 2023, Salotto Longhena 2022. The construction of a skyscraper is the presentation of the Schiller Building project, the steel skyscraper by Adler and Sullivan, at Ca’ Pesaro – International Gallery of Modern Art as part of Salotto Longhena. MUVE and IUAV in dialogue between art and architecture, held in the museum’s project room.
Website: capesaro
Info: Santa Croce, 2076 Venice
Until February 5, 2023, the Museo Correr celebrates the bicentenary of the death of the sculptor Antonio Canova, with Canova and Venice, 1822-2022, an exhibition of photographs by Fabio Zonta, curated by Andrea Bellieni and Camilla Grimaldi and realized with the support of the Venice International Foundation.
Website: museocorrer
Info: Piazza San Marco, 52 Venice
Until February 26, 2023, at the Fondation Valmont at Palazzo Bonvicini, the group exhibition Peter Pan. La nécessité du rêve is open, featuring Stephanie Blake, Didier and Valentine Guillon, Silvano Rubino, and Isao.
Website: fondationvalmont
Info: Calle de l’Agnella, Santa Croce 2161/A Venice
Until April 10, 2023, Lee Miller – Man Ray. Fashion, Love, War is the exhibition at Palazzo Franchetti featuring 140 photographs by Lee Miller and Man Ray along with art objects and video documents, curated by Victoria Noel-Johnson.
Muse, model, photographer, fashion icon, pioneer of surrealism in photography, and the first female war reporter to document concentration camps, Lee Miller also discovered the photographic technique of solarization, a hallmark of the works of her teacher, lover, and great friend Man Ray.
Website: palazzofranchetti
Info: San Marco, 2847 Venice
Article by Lucia Pecoraro.
Cover photo: Man Ray (The Tears 1930-1988) from the Fondazione Marconi in Milan.
Other images are by: Marta Formentello, Jojo Gronostay Kreaturen V. Forest 2022 (Alberta Pane Gallery), Lucia Pecoraro at the Anselm Kiefer and Marlene Dumas exhibitions, Vincenzo Bruno for Lee Miller – Man Ray at Palazzo Franchetti, White opaline glass table lamp with red vertical bands designed by Massimo Vignelli (1955, private collection), Drawing for suspension lamp no. 5254 in corded glass designed by Carlo Scarpa (1935).
