For the 54th International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia, the artist Monica Bonvicini conceived a series of three new sculptures. It’s Monica Bonvicini’s third participation in the Venice Biennale.
The title of the series of stairway sculptures is 15 Steps to the Virgin and refers to the number of steps in Tintoretto’s painting La Presentazione della Vergine al Tempio. A pink curtain and two light installations complement the mixed-media sculptures. Monica Bonvicini thereby creates references to both Bice Curiger’s presentation of Tintoretto paintings in the Biennale’s main pavilion in the Giardini and the title of her show, Illuminations. The three sculptures are made of plywood, pressboard, mirror plates, and other construction material. They vary in size and design.
Monica Bonvicini was born in Venice, Italy in 1965. She studied at the Hochschule der Künste in Berlin and the California Institute of the Arts in Valencia, California. Monica Bonvicini lives and works in Berlin. Her work is part of numerous collections such as the ARCO Foundation Collection in Madrid, the Istanbul Museum of Modern Art, Julia Stoschek Collection, MoMA New York, Museion Bolzano, SMB Neue Nationalgalerie Berlin, and T-B A 21 Vienna.
Monica Bonvicini: 15 Steps to the Virgin at Venice Biennale 2011 at the 54th International Art Exhibition – la Biennale di Venezia 2011. Arsenale, Venice / Italy, June 1, 2011.
PS: See also: Monica Bonvicini: Bet Your Sweet Life at Max Hetzler Berlin and Monica Bonvicini and Tom Burr at Lenbachhaus Kunstbau, Munich.
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