I Hear the Water Dreaming by Li Chevalier at the Museum of Oriental Art, Venice. The Swan Song of Paolo De Grandis

Silent Woods II - Inspiration Dvorak by Li Chevalier - Photo: Cat Bauer

(Venice, Italy) On Friday morning, I climbed the grand staircase to the top floor of Ca' Pesaro, another vast palace in Venice on the Grand Canal. Ca' Pesaro is better known as Venice's International Gallery of Modern Art, and is part of MUVE, Venice's Civic Museums.

I had been invited to the opening of I Hear the Water Dreaming by the French-Chinese artist, Li Chevalier, curated by Paolo De Grandis and Carlotta Scarpa. 

I went mostly because I wanted to see Paolo De Grandis, whom I have known for years. Nearly everyone involved in the arts and culture of Venice knows Paolo De Grandis. Paolo De Grandis is an institution and a force of nature. Paolo had been ill, and I wanted to know if he was okay.

In quirky Venice, the top floor of Ca' Pesaro, is actually not part of the local MUVE museum system. It belongs to the Museum of Oriental Art (MOAV), one of the largest collections in Europe of Japanese art from the Edo period. The Museum of Oriental Art falls under the dominion of the Italian Minister of Culture. Luckily, that puts it in the hands of Daniele Ferrara, who is in charge of Italian museums in the Veneto, and is very cool.

Paolo wasn't there. So I spoke to Carlotta Scarpa, the co-curator, who is molto simpatica. Paolo was still ill. I became very emotional. We had a profound exchange. I knew Paolo had cancer, but I didn't know what kind. It was lung cancer. Carla said that Paolo would get better. I said I would say a prayer. 

Dark is life, Dark is death
Song of the Earth
by Li Chevalier
Photo: Cat Bauer

This morning, May 12, 2024, on Facebook, Leonardo De Grandis, Paolo's son, posted a beautiful image of dawn breaking over the sea, and said that his father, Paolo De Grandis, had left us.

Today is a significant day in Venice. Not only is it Mother's Day, and Ascension Day, it is Festa della Sensa, the day that Venice marries the sea. If one could choose a day to die in Venice, leaving the Earth on the same day that Jesus Christ ascended to heaven and that Venice married the sea is just about one of the best. (UPDATE: I just learned the actual time of death was on May 11.)

Paolo De Grandis with son Leonardo at "Allegory of Dreams"
La Biennale di Venezia Collateral Event from Macoa, China
Photo: Cat Bauer - April, 2022

I Hear the Water Dreaming

It took me some time to comprehend the complex universe Li Chevalier had conjured up with the 30 ink-on-canvas works she had created as a tribute to Venice, where she had begun her art education. The works were utterly distinct -- not only in the way she created them with ink and canvas and sand and paper, but in combining the Eastern and Western elements of her life. Li Chevalier transported ancient traditional Chinese ink painting into the 21st century. When I grasped the depth of spirit that went into her works of art, I was awestruck.

Born in China on March 30, 1961, Li Chevalier left Beijing in 1984, becoming a French citizen in 1986. She now works between Europe and Asia.

The ink-on-canvas works were inspired by the music of the Japanese composer Toru Takemitsu and the winter mist of the Venetian lagoon. When I asked Li Chevalier to elaborate, she said that the Chinese mind is not a binary "yes" or "no." It is both "yes" and "no" at the same time. It is misty like the fog on a Venetian winter's day when you can't tell where a palace begins and the water ends.

Carlotta Scarpa, Daniele Ferrara, Marta Boscolo Marchi, Li Chevalier
Photo: Cat Bauer

Here are the words of Paolo De Grandis from the catalogue of I Hear the Water Dreaming that I translated to English from Italian and French. The exhibition is poignant and wise, and a beautiful swan song. 

A Voyage to Venice with Li Chevalier
by Paolo De Grandis

Meeting Li Chevalier in 2016 was a moment of deep inspiration. I was immediately fascinated by her incredible personal experiences and her remarkable artistic practice.

From that moment, a close collaboration was born, which gradually transformed into a mutual desire to organize a solo exhibition in Venice.

This ambitious project underwent two crucial stages -- two key moments where the public could appreciate the talent of Li Chevalier and her unique approach to painting: OPEN International Exhibition of Sculptures and Installations in Venice and Trajectory of Desire at the Museum of Contemporary Art of Rome (MARCO).

The enthusiasm aroused by these experiences fueled our determination to carry out a project of a larger and more significant exhibition in Venice, a city steeped in history and culture that inspired Li Chevalier so much in her artistic training.

Now, after seven years of commitment and passion, thanks to the support of Daniele Ferrara, Director of the Veneto Regional Museums Directorate, and the enlightened vision of Marta Boscolo Marchi, Director of the Museum of Oriental Art of Venice, we find ourselves with the unique opportunity to present I Hear the Water Dreaming. It is not just the culmination of years of work and dedication, but a moment of celebration of one of the most profound expressions of intercultural art.

The exhibition is presented in the form of an in situ installation which establishes an unprecedented dialogue with the prestigious collection of the Museo d'Arte Orientale, one of the most important collections of Japanese art from the Edo period (1603-1868) in Europe. The exhibition rooms fuse Oriental works of art with the private spaces of a rococo residence, resulting in an aesthetic experience of extraordinary impact. This mix of styles and atmospheres lends itself magnificently to hosting temporary exhibitions. 

In her recent works, Li Chevalier captures the music of Japanese composer Toru Takmitsu, together with inspiration from the Venice lagoon. In fact, her works on canvas represent the fusion between Chinese ink and the very essence of the composition and peculiar materials of European painting.

The exhibition is a unique opportunity to immerse ourselves in the essence of Venice through the lens of Li Chevalier, a journey that starts from afar and invites us to look beyond the surface of the city... to penetrate the water that supports it... the perpetual motion that laps the shores of the lagoon... to relive atmospheres and sensations of a past that is still alive -- a centuries-old message of serenity and beauty.

You can witness I Hear the Water Dreaming until September 15, 2024. Go to PDG Arte Communications for more information.

Rest with the angels, dear Paolo De Grandis. Thank you for all the beauty and inspiration you brought to Venice from diverse cultures all over the world. You made a great impact on so many people's lives, and touched us deeply with your humanity.

Ciao from Venezia,

Cat Bauer

Venetian Cat - The Venice Blog