The Materiality of Judy Chicago

The Materiality of Judy Chicago, esposizione della celebre artista americana, alla sua prima personale in una galleria europea.

Comunicato stampa

Coinciding with the 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, Galleria Alberta Pane presents The Materiality of Judy Chicago, a solo exhibition by world-renowned American artist Judy Chicago (b. 1939) at its Venice space. Curated by Allison Raddock, this focused exhibition offers a comprehensive overview of Chicago's work through the lens of the materials and innovative techniques that have defined her six-decade career, while introducing a new series making its world debut in Venice.

A pioneering figure in feminist art, Judy Chicago has continuously challenged artistic hierarchies, embracing techniques historically dismissed as "craft" – from spray-painted car hoods and porcelain plates to needlework and glass – to expand feminist and conceptual art practices. Moving through some of the most significant series of her career, the exhibition extends to her most recent work, tracing a journey that underscores her belief in art as a vehicle for intellectual transformation and social change.

Central to the Venice presentation is Judy Chicago: Lilies/Goddesses, a new series developed in collaboration with Studio Berengo in Venice, JRP|Editions in Zurich, and the Corning Museum of Glass in New York. Eight new sculptures in glass and bronze will make their world debut at Galleria Alberta Pane. The series grew from Chicago's An Homage to Arles (2024), commissioned by LUMA Arles – works in which bursts of fireworks and coloured smoke emanated from metal lilies floating in a pond, evoking both Monet's water gardens and the apocalyptic dimension that runs through Chicago's practice. Varying in scale from tabletop objects to monumental outdoor installations, the Lilies/Goddesses sculptures address the beauty and vulnerability of our planet and the growing consequences of climate change, challenging the patriarchal paradigm and foregrounding the importance of female voices in shaping a more equitable future.

Also on view are drawings and minimalist sculptures from the late 1960s, plates and drawings from The Dinner Party (1974–79) – Chicago's iconic work permanently housed at the Brooklyn Museum's Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art – embroidered textiles from the Birth Project (1980s), paintings from PowerPlay (1980s), and photographs from the recent Garden Smoke series. Together, these works map the full arc of an artist whose practice has remained consistently committed to women's fundamental right to freedom of expression.

The exhibition is accompanied by a catalogue conceived by graphic design studio Multiplo and edited by Alberta Pane, featuring an exclusive interview between Judy Chicago and Massimiliano Gioni.