Archive of Desire at Palazzo Grassi in Venice

Photo: Ph. Matteo De Fina

“Dear Mr. Cavafy, […] How your voice was always made of deep blue ink and how often you reminded us. How often you reminded us, the only true barbarians are the ones raging in silence inside of our own minds. And they do not give a damn whether we wait for them or not.”

The performance “Archive of Desire” was commissioned by the Onassis Foundation as part of the titular festival inspired by the modern Greek poet C. P. Cavafy and premiered at National Sawdust in New York City on May 3 and 4, 2023. Almost a year later, as part of the public program of Julie Mehretu’s exhibition “Ensemble,” Palazzo Grassi is pleased to host the Italian premiere of this performance, produced by VisionIntoArt with the participation of the Marian Goodman Gallery, New York, Paris, and Los Angeles, and the Onassis Foundation.

For how many millennia exactly has our species chosen not to kiss land instead of ecstasy?

Drawing inspiration from Cavafy’s archive, Archive of Desire features Julie Mehretu together with Robin Coste Lewis, Vijay Iyer, and Jeffrey Zeigler, originally directed by Charlotte Brathwaite in a multidisciplinary project combining music, poetry, and visual art. The performance is an exaltation of desire, reflecting on the sensuality of Cavafy, diaspora, and the liminal spaces present everywhere in his work.

Photo: Ph. Matteo De Fina

Artists

Robin Coste Lewis

Julie Mehretu

Jeffrey Zeigler

Vijay Iyer

Robin Coste Lewis

Jeffrey Zeigler

Julie Mehretu

Vijay Iyer

About Palazzo Grassi

Palazzo Grassi and Punta della Dogana aims to share the extraordinary Pinault Collection with the public and to support contemporary artistic production. The museum presents thematic exhibitions based on works from the Pinault Collection alternately with monographic shows by major contemporary artists. A policy of inclusion and accessibility is applied to all services and initiatives, which are designed for all typologies of the public, and a calendar of cultural events enables Palazzo Grassi and Punta della Dogana to reach an ever wider public. The addition of the Teatrino in 2013, an auditorium designed by architect Tadao Ando, has reinforced the institution’s commitment to establishing a dialogue with the public and encouraging knowledge by hosting a wide range events that aim at complementing the exhibitions organized at Palazzo Grassi and Punta della Dogana, as well as exploring a large variety of artistic forms. In eleven years, the Teatrino has become one of the most dynamic actors on the Venetian cultural scene: over 100 conferences, screenings, concerts, and performances are held annually. Most of the events presented at the Teatrino are free and organized by Palazzo Grassi, often in collaboration with international, national, and local partners.

About VisionintoArt

VisionIntoArt (VIA), “always intriguing and frequently beguiling,” is a multimedia production company that “facilitates flamboyant, confounding and enticing collaborations” (New York Times). VIA creates and commissions works that involve various disciplines, presented around the world, and forged by the most exciting, emerging, and established artists living today, as well as interdisciplinary experts, including scientists and conservationists. Incubating, producing, and disseminating, VIA projects often bridge impact, community building, and scientific inquiry, with the belief that collaboration sustains artistic innovation and promotes a healthier society. VIA’s works range from the Hubble Cantata―the largest communal VR operatic event―to multiplatform works like The Colorado, now viewable on PBS. VIA productions have been seen at Lincoln Center, the Barbican Centre, HIFA in Zimbabwe, The Brooklyn Academy of Music, the Kennedy Center, and through residencies at MASS MoCA and The Park Avenue Armory. The company’s projects include world premieres and tours of work, including Con Alma at Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City, and at The United Nations for the world’s largest equity conference presented by Death of Classical in partnership with Carnegie Hall; Houses of Zodiac at The Broad Museum in Los Angeles, a live Butoh, ballet, and cello work with film installation presented as part of The Broad’s special exhibition Takashi Murakami: Stepping on the Tail of a Rainbow, also seen at the 2022 Romaeuropa Festival in Rome, Italy; Bang on a Can’s 2023 LOUD Weekend at MASS MoCA; Archive of Desire presented as part of the Onassis Foundation’s 2023 New York City-wide festival and international tour; and the forthcoming opera project Sensorium Ex, which cultivates community-centered practices, most recently presented as part of UnMute ArtsAbility Festival in Cape Town (Africa’s premier disability-led, inclusive arts festival), and in collaboration with The REACH and Washington National Opera at the Kennedy Center.