Anish Kapoor at the Gallerie. Among the many museums in Venice, the Gallerie dell’Accademia is the seat of the most representative collection of Venetian paintings worldwide. Until twenty years ago, the museum was based in the 15th-century “Scuola della Carità”, a Medieval mutual aid association, and the former Gothic church of Santa Maria della Carità.
In between the two buildings, the Academy of Fine Arts occupied the Palladian monastery’s cells dating from the 1560s.
In 2005 the Gallerie board in agreement with the Ministry of Culture sponsored a vast extension project for new twelve rooms for the display of Baroque, 18th, and 19th-century artworks, that were stored in the deposits.
The project, designed by the architect Tobia Scarpa, consisted of efficient lighting and security systems, a cafeteria in the open courtyard, and a rich museum shop.
Today visitors can enjoy 88 unseen paintings by 17th-century Venetian masters and admire large canvases by Gianbattista Tiepolo, Giambattista Piazzetta, Francesco Hayez, Petro Longhi, Rosalba Carriera, along with several of Antonio Canova‘s plaster casts which increased his reputation as a Neoclassical sculptor.
One of the curiosities about him is an ornate metal urn containing the right hand of the master, hosted in a Classical style vaulted room designed by Andrea Palladio.
Take advantage of brand-new opportunities offered by the collection!
ANISH KAPOOR at the Gallerie dell’Accademia and Palazzo Manfrin, 20 Aprile – 9 October, 2022
In addition to the new museum exhibition area, the Gallerie dell’Accademia is proud to host a retrospective show dedicated to the British artist Anish Kapoor.
A further section is held in the Cannaregio district at Palazzo Manfrin, now the headquarters of the Anish Kapoor Foundation. Besides the comprehensive overview of a lifelong career, the exhibit showcases a significant selection of his most recent works.
Kapoor’s research on perspective and space, color, and light originated from a deep understanding of Venetian Renaissance masterpieces displayed at the Gallerie, the perfect location for a unique and emotional experience.