Quinn's "Building Bridges" sculptures
The Venice Biennale, the prestigious interdisciplinary contemporary art showcase that takes place every odd year, runs from 11 May to 24 November 2019. One of the installations you can see in Venice this year are the touching giant hands by contemporary Italian artist Lorenzo Quinn (born 1966).
Building bridges to bridge differences. This is the message of Quinn's sculpture "Building Bridges". It consists of six pairs of giant hands that touch and intertwine in different ways to create "bridges" under which one can pass. The interlocking human hands symbolize six values - wisdom, hope, love, help, faith and friendship. How do you like it?
The joining of hands further symbolizes our society - what we share, and our ability to connect - geographically, spiritually, philosophically, culturally and emotionally. Quinn uses his hands to communicate emotion through gesture and touch, which also reflects the ethos of connection and communication through the language of art.
Venice itself is divided and connected through its channels and their transitions. They are also a historical base for international trade. A city where art flourishes. A UNESCO World Heritage Site where tourists come from all over the world. It is therefore also an ideal place to spread the message of connecting societies, nations and communities by building bridges, not walls.
Quinn is known for specializing in body parts in his work, especially hands, which he can fit into literally anything from gigantic sculptures to small jewelry pieces. Giant hands were also featured at the 2017 Venice Biennale, where Quinn's "Support" sculpture supported the walls of the local Ca'Sagredo hotel. The work drew attention to the impact of climate change and rising global ocean levels, which are causing significant problems for the historic city.
