designboom_on the occasion of the venice art biennale this year, barnaba fornasetti and valeria manzi present la regola del sogno – the rule of dreams, a site-specific installation conceived for lifestyle department store fondaco dei tedeschi. the large-scale artwork draws images from the fornasetti archive, which are expressly arranged to interact meaningfully with the historical place.

fornasetti‘s la regola del sogno – the rule of dreams will run from may 8 to november 24, permeating throughout the entire fondaco building, from the fourth floor, to the courtyard down to the waterfront entrance. featuring silhouettes of female faces, irreverent monkeys and hands slicing through the air, this installation by barnaba fornasetti and valeria manzi, interacts with the spaces around it and indeed with the very reach of the historical place itself, trifling with its ancient symbols.

conceived as a dialogue with the building itself, its history and its memories, the rule of dreams brings into play two of the most iconic elements of the fornasetti narrative: silhouettes of arms and hands, and of monkeys. no obscenities or insults, no gaming, uproar or brawling. otherwise do business as you will’: these strict rules, engraved in marble at the entrance to the fondaco building, were imposed by the serenissima republic of venice on travelling merchants. here in the work of our two creative artists, the rules are ‘enforced’ by the monkeys that hover over visitors and seem to taunt them from on high with their irreverence.

project info:

name: la regola del sogno – the rule of dreams

artist: barnaba fornasetti and valeria manzi

company: fornasetti

location: T fondaco dei tedeschi, venice

duration: 8 may – 24 november 2019, 10:00 –20:00, admission free