1970's
Ground floor, entrance and hall
The entrance to the exhibition PORTOFRANCO is designed to immediately place the visitor in an intimate and surprising dimension. In the corridor connecting the two buildings of the palace is the installation by Thyself Agency, a life-exchange agency founded by artists Luca De Leva and Emma Rose Hodne. The project, previously presented in various Italian and European cities, offers real experiences of "self-exchange," inviting the public to engage actively and adopt new relational perspectives. On selected weekends, the two artists will be present to speak with visitors.
Beyond the corridor, one enters the large hall, characterized by the original counters of the former bank and by materials such as wood, granite, and glass - elements that introduce the atmosphere of the exhibition. At the back of the room, beyond the counters, stands a large painting by Thomas Braida: a classical landscape populated by cows drinking cocktails - an image at once ironic and serious, representative of the artist's unique language. Inside the bank counters, Marta Ravasi has placed delicate photographic images, like objects forgotten by former occupants of the space, small traces of the past. Nearby are abandoned office furnishings: opened safes, telephones, outlets, desks. Within this context, inside one of the offices, emerges a sculpture by SC_NC, created specifically for PORTOFRANCO: a composition of keys recovered from abandoned sites in the region, considered as "carriers of souls and memories." Also on view is the first series of works by Raoul Schultz, an artist ahead of his time, represented here with pieces from the series "Toponomastiche", "Numeri anagrafici", and "Calendari", placed in various locations throughout the palace. On the floor, a large original document holder from the space is transformed into a sculpture and display device for a new work by Rachele Calisti: the figure of a reclining manager, ironic and cynical, perfectly integrated into the environment. Also presented is Tenuto immerso, a video by Daniele Costa, visible even from outside through the opening of the former ATM. The film reinvigorates the abandoned rooms of the palace and represents the poetic matrix of the entire exhibition.
The visit continues along the central staircase, the architectural element that unites the two buildings into a single entity: Palazzo Soranzo Novello. This staircase, documented also in the drawings of Filippo Antonioli, is the heart of the visitor's movement across the different atmospheres of the exhibition. As they ascend the stairs, visitors encounter a large painting by Adam Gordon, an American artist whose work spans video, photography, performance, and painting to explore humanity and objects. The work depicts a hybrid, elongated body, suspended between times and identities. The artist is also present in the exhibition with a second, more intimate painting.
Beyond the corridor, one enters the large hall, characterized by the original counters of the former bank and by materials such as wood, granite, and glass - elements that introduce the atmosphere of the exhibition. At the back of the room, beyond the counters, stands a large painting by Thomas Braida: a classical landscape populated by cows drinking cocktails - an image at once ironic and serious, representative of the artist's unique language. Inside the bank counters, Marta Ravasi has placed delicate photographic images, like objects forgotten by former occupants of the space, small traces of the past. Nearby are abandoned office furnishings: opened safes, telephones, outlets, desks. Within this context, inside one of the offices, emerges a sculpture by SC_NC, created specifically for PORTOFRANCO: a composition of keys recovered from abandoned sites in the region, considered as "carriers of souls and memories." Also on view is the first series of works by Raoul Schultz, an artist ahead of his time, represented here with pieces from the series "Toponomastiche", "Numeri anagrafici", and "Calendari", placed in various locations throughout the palace. On the floor, a large original document holder from the space is transformed into a sculpture and display device for a new work by Rachele Calisti: the figure of a reclining manager, ironic and cynical, perfectly integrated into the environment. Also presented is Tenuto immerso, a video by Daniele Costa, visible even from outside through the opening of the former ATM. The film reinvigorates the abandoned rooms of the palace and represents the poetic matrix of the entire exhibition.
The visit continues along the central staircase, the architectural element that unites the two buildings into a single entity: Palazzo Soranzo Novello. This staircase, documented also in the drawings of Filippo Antonioli, is the heart of the visitor's movement across the different atmospheres of the exhibition. As they ascend the stairs, visitors encounter a large painting by Adam Gordon, an American artist whose work spans video, photography, performance, and painting to explore humanity and objects. The work depicts a hybrid, elongated body, suspended between times and identities. The artist is also present in the exhibition with a second, more intimate painting.