A powerful large-scale art installation honoring migrants and their aspirations has been unveiled on the historic facade of the Procuratie Vecchie, the iconic 16th-century building that spans the entire length of Venice's famous St. Mark's Square. The striking display, inspired by the renowned work of French street artist JR, features 100 black-and-white portraits that transform the building's exterior into a canvas for social commentary.
The Procuratie Vecchie, which once served as the residence for officials who administered the basilica, now houses The Human Safety Net, a foundation funded by insurance giant Generali that provides assistance to vulnerable families and helps refugees find employment opportunities. This historic setting provides a meaningful backdrop for the installation's message of hope and human dignity.
The project, titled "Dreams in Transit," was officially launched on Wednesday through a collaboration with Art for Action, a Geneva-based organization dedicated to driving social change through artistic expression. The building's facade has been dramatically covered with 100 black-and-white portraits of migrants, carefully arranged in two distinct rows that create a powerful visual impact across the square.
The installation draws inspiration from JR's famous "Inside Out" project, a global platform that enables communities worldwide to display frontal black-and-white portraits of community members in public spaces. However, this Venice installation takes a unique approach by photographing the migrants from behind rather than facing forward, creating a different emotional resonance.
"When you look at them from the back, you feel their sadness, the weight on their shoulders," explains Amandine Lepoutre, president of Art for Action, speaking at the installation's inauguration. She noted that while JR was not directly involved in creating the exhibition, he did give his approval for the project, lending his artistic philosophy to this humanitarian cause.
The outdoor installation serves as a complement to the broader "Dreams in Transit" exhibition housed inside the Procuratie Vecchie, which opened its doors to the public in May. This interior exhibition features six striking color portraits of refugees in Lebanon, captured by photographer Leila Alaoui, who tragically died after being injured in a 2016 terrorist attack in Burkina Faso. Her powerful images stand as a posthumous testament to her commitment to documenting human stories.
Accompanying Alaoui's photographs are additional artistic elements that deepen the exhibition's narrative. A pile of bedsheets created by artists Lorraine de Sagazan and Anouk Maugein evokes the hotel work that migrants often undertake as they build new lives. Meanwhile, Ange Leccia's glowing sea of inflatable globes symbolizes the concept of distinct yet interconnected homelands, representing the complex relationship between origin and destination.
A particularly moving component of the installation is a sound piece by French artist Sarah Makharine, which features recordings of personal aspirations shared by each person who posed for the facade display. "We asked them to share their dreams, because it is important to dream," Lepoutre explains, emphasizing the human dignity and hope that the project seeks to highlight.
The migrants featured in the photographs were contacted through partner non-governmental organizations of The Human Safety Net operating in France, Italy, and Germany. This collaborative approach ensured authentic representation and meaningful participation from the communities the installation seeks to celebrate.
"We favor integration through work," said Emma Ursich, chief executive of The Human Safety Net. "Art can help bring attention to this theme and spread the individual stories of courage and resilience of these people." This philosophy underscores the foundation's commitment to practical support while using artistic expression to foster understanding and empathy.
"Dreams in Transit" joins a growing number of socially engaged exhibitions taking place in Venice, reflecting the city's role as a platform for contemporary social commentary. On September 2, another exhibition called "Breathtaking" opened at Casa Sanlorenzo, a new cultural hub established by luxury yacht manufacturer Sanlorenzo. This show features photo portraits by Fabrizio Ferri of celebrities including Sting, Willem Dafoe, and Susan Sarandon, depicted as if suffocating in plastic, alongside a central glass coffin filled with seawater. The immersive display addresses the fragility of ecosystems and humanity's shared responsibility to protect the environment, demonstrating Venice's commitment to hosting art that tackles pressing global issues.
