Ocean Space throws Open the Doors of the Ancient Church of San Lorenzo in Venice

Ocean Space - Moving Off the Land by Joan Jonas

(Venice, Italy) The Church of San Lorenzo, a towering structure with exposed bricks and no elaborate facade, sat alone and closed for more than a century except for a few temporary installations. For years, stray cats were its only friends. Its roof was leaking and there was a gaping hole in the floor. The current church was built in 1592-1602, and deconsecrated in 1810 after the invasion of Napoleon's troops and the fall of the Venetian Republic.

In the early 20th century, a series of archaeological excavations were conducted to search for the remains of the great Venetian explorer, Marco Polo, who was rumored to have been buried in the church. They didn't find Marco Polo, but they did find remnants of an original 9th century church whose foundation stretched back to Byzantine times.

The Church of San Lorenzo has been the site for temporary installations over the past few decades, most notably Renzo Piano's architectural intervention for the presentation of Luigi Nono's opera Prometheus as part of the Biennale di Venezia International Music Festival in 1984, and a sonic intervention by artist Ariel Guzik for the 2012 Mexican Pavilion of La Biennale International Art Festival.

Then it was closed again.

Enter TBA21-Academy, who, in 2016, took out a long-term lease and has been working to make repairs in order to transform the enormous space into an embassy for the oceans.

Ocean Space at the Church of San Lorenzo - Photo courtesy of TBA-21 Academy

Most people know fish only on a plate, and Ocean Space wants to change that. TBA21-Academy was founded by activist art collector Francesca Thyssen-Bornemisza and Markus Reymann to connect thought-leaders in the world of art and science to develop solutions for the oceans’ most urgent issues. A deep believer in channeling wealth into philanthropy, Francesca is determined to focus global attention on the state of the seas. “No ocean, no species. People do not realize how much they can do through their network and skill system to make a difference.”

“This is not a museum of the past, but a laboratory for the future,” said Markus Reymann.

Ciao from Venezia,
Cat Bauer
Venetian Cat - The Venice Blog