"This is a very special project, because it's the first time I do a tapestry, but also because of the incredible story that resides behind this piece. The composition is based on Refettorio Paris, a community kitchen launched eight years ago that recovers surplus ingredients - items discarded by supermarkets due to minor aesthetic defects - and transforms them into refined three-course meals served free of charge to refugees and homeless individuals."
"By reinterpreting Paolo Veronese's 1563 painting 'The Wedding at Cana,' the work shifts the focus from a biblical miracle to a contemporary model of social repair and community care. JR's connection to the site is rooted in his recurring stays at the monastery of San Giorgio Maggiore, where the original Veronese painting hung for over two centuries before its removal to the Louvre."
For the 61st Venice Biennale, artist JR created 'Il Gesto,' a multidisciplinary project at Palazzo Ca' da Mosto combining temporary facade panels with a permanent monumental tapestry. The tapestry, woven by master Giovanni Bonotto, reinterprets Paolo Veronese's 1563 painting 'The Wedding at Cana' to shift focus from biblical miracle to contemporary social repair and community care. The work features 176 real participants from Refettorio Paris, a community kitchen that recovers surplus supermarket ingredients and serves free meals to refugees and homeless individuals. JR's connection to Venice stems from his stays at San Giorgio Maggiore monastery, where the original Veronese painting hung for centuries before moving to the Louvre. By returning this imagery to Venice as a contemporary textile 'fresco,' the project addresses historical displacement while highlighting modern mutual aid initiatives.
Read at designboom | architecture & design magazine
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