Building Bridges, Contemporary sculpture at Arsenale, Venice, Italy
Building Bridges is a contemporary sculpture at the Arsenale in Venice consisting of six pairs of monumental hands rising from the water to represent different aspects of human connection. The hands were crafted from expanded polystyrene and coated with polyurea to withstand the harsh marine environment.
The sculpture was unveiled in May 2019 as part of a larger artistic initiative addressing social dialogue and human relationships. Artist Lorenzo Quinn created this installation to contribute to contemporary art conversations taking place in Venice.
The work expresses ideas about human connection and solidarity through monumental forms that viewers encounter directly. People walking past the hands notice how the scale and positioning invite reflection on how we relate to one another.
The installation is located at the Arsenale and is viewable from the surrounding waterways and pathways. The best views are obtained by walking along the water's edge near the site, where the scale and detail of the hands become fully apparent.
The artist chose expanded polystyrene as the material to achieve the enormous size of the hands without excessive weight. This unexpected material choice gives the sculpture a lightness that contradicts its appearance of solidity.
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