Mirrored fountain
Biennale 2022, USA Pavilion, Venice

A must-be for contemporary art lovers, the Venice Art Biennale attracts visitors and artists from all over the world in a continuum of exhibitions and collateral events that fill the lagoon agenda. The pavilions of the competing countries arouse amazement and wonder and open new spaces for discussion on current issues: “The Milk of Dreams”, the title of the 59th edition of the exhibition is inspired by the name of a book by the surrealist artist Leonora Carrington. In her tales life is magic and incessant metamorphosis:  the reference to the title invites us to reflect on transformation and changes also in the definition of human and in the relationship with other species. Forme d'Acqua contributed to this 59th edition of the Venice Biennale through the technical realization of a suggestive fountain that is part of the work of the artist Simone Leigh.The creative reconstruction of the history - of the stories - of the Black femme interiority is at the heart of Simone Leigh's research and works that talk about race, gender and work: the artist creates impressive sculptures using techniques and materials of different origins, blending the plastic work with the creation of performances and sculptures. A video made by the artist Shaniqwa Jarvis on the work in progress of the creative process of the works created for the exhibition by Simone Leigh is visible . The Last Garment artwork is a bronze statue of a woman, depicted with her dress raised to her knees and bending over the water in the act of washing a rag and rubbing it on stone, a scene inspired by old photographs taken in Jamaica by C. H. Graves, photographs that depicted inhabitants at work and were sold as souvenirs. The choice of total black, also for the bottom of the tank, emphasizes the fluidity of the water which is both a scenography and an integral part of the creation, evocative of a time suspended between past and present. The big pool (6 by 5 meters and 30 centimeters high) is located under the large glass window on the ceiling of the room and is a removable structure, created for the installation by Simone Leigh at the end of the Biennale it will be shipped to the United States to continue his itinerary. In 2023 the work will be visible at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston which commissioned the work for this 59th Venetian exhibition. The construction works of the USA pavilion are made by Cobar Spa, partner of Forme d'Acqua also in the construction of the in Reggio Calabria. The company commissioned the construction of the stainless steel pool and the systems necessary for the artistic installation of the work of Simone Leigh. It was created as a rectangular aluminum modular structure, which consists of a frame where the technical system is inserted and supports the 1 mm thick Alfafol black fabric cover Oase. The external part is covered with a matte black powder-coated AISI316 steel sheet. The pipes, low-voltage pumps, and filters are hidden inside the frame of the pool. For this realization, the MEP design was targeted to the use of components that are easy to transport even by air shipment and to be dismantled and reassembled. The statement by Gianluca Orazio, CEO of Forme d’Acqua - Venice Fountains:

"Contributing to the important installation of the US pavilion is certainly a source of pride for all of us and a recognition also for our territory, full of competent people, artisan know-how, professionals devoted to research and development of innovative technical solutions. Our work is based on the emotions that water in its infinite forms generates, instilling a sense of well-being and joy in people, but this time something magical happened, the encounter with the artist’s work touched us, we felt emotionally involved, a part of the contemporary history that we prefer, made up of sharing knowledge, experiences and art in its various forms and declinations. "

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Photo credits: Marta Formentello