Venice/Hamburg, July 5, 2018 – What looked like a romantic postcard scene just a day before has overnight become the backdrop for a spectacular street art project. On Wednesday night, various artists from around the world joined forces to bring color to Venice’s facades, bridges, and even boats. But anyone who sees this as vandalism is entirely mistaken. This initiative is actually a unique miniature art exhibition in Miniatur Wunderland, dedicated to supporting Viva con Agua.
Instead of using cubic meters of paint, the artists managed to transform entire buildings into artworks with just a few tubes of color. While the UNESCO World Heritage Site Venice remains untouched in the Adriatic Lagoon, its 9-square-meter replica in Miniatur Wunderland Hamburg has been turned into a vibrant street art showcase overnight. Renowned street artists Okuda (Spain, ranked among the top 50 contemporary artists worldwide), Zezão (Brazil), and Ashenafi Mestika (Ethiopia) are now represented in the Wunderland Venice. Hamburg-based artists Björn Holzweg and Nils Kasiske complete this miniature gallery, which is being featured as part of the Hamburg Millerntor Gallery for the first time.
“Small art with a big impact. But even more important is the idea behind it. Over the next few days, these artworks will be auctioned off for a good cause and replaced with replicas in Wunderland,” explains Miniatur Wunderland founder Frederik Braun. While the pieces are exhibited in Wunderland’s Venice, art lovers and model railway enthusiasts can bid on them via the online auction house eBay. 100% of the auction proceeds will be donated to Viva con Agua e.V., a nonprofit organization that works toward providing clean drinking water worldwide. The artworks are available for bidding until the evening of July 13, 2018.
Michael Fritz, co-initiator of the Millerntor Gallery and co-founder of Viva con Agua, says:
“We are proud to expand the exhibition space of the Millerntor Gallery beyond FC St. Pauli’s stadium for the first time, together with Miniatur Wunderland. Only the Wunderland team could be crazy enough to let a bunch of artists take over their €1,000,000 Venice section for a good cause!”
The miniature exhibition in Wunderland’s Venice runs until July 13, 2018. After that, the street art pieces will go to the highest bidders.
3, 2, 1… Yours?
The Artists
OKUDA
A street artist from Santander, Spain, Okuda is known for his large-scale works featuring geometric structures, strong contrasts, and multicolored patterns. His style belongs to Pop Surrealism with influences from street art and urban art. In 2016, he ranked 42nd on the Widewalls Top 100 list of the world’s most famous contemporary artists. Okuda designed the bell tower of Wunderland’s Venice.
ZEZÃO
Born in São Paulo, Brazil, José Augusto Amaro Handa, known as Zezão, started in the 1990s by bringing graffiti into underground spaces. His signature blue arabesques and neon-colored images can be found in abandoned buildings, drainage tunnels, and impoverished neighborhoods. As part of this project, Zezão designed the facade of a bridge in Wunderland Venice.
ASHENAFI MESTIKA
Hailing from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Ashenafi Mestika explores fundamental social questions in his work. He often uses complementary colors to represent the balance of life. His artistic touch can now be seen on the famous columns of St. Mark’s Square in Wunderland Venice.
NILS KASISKE
A Hamburg-based artist who works across multiple disciplines as a sculptor, illustrator, and painter. His works critique consumerism and social structures, addressing the struggle of the individual in a world of rigid categories. He co-designed the columns on St. Mark’s Square with Ashenafi Mestika.
BJÖRN HOLZWEG
Born in Leipzig, Germany, Holzweg has been living and working in Hamburg since 2004. His works, influenced by Cubism, focus on shifting perspectives and geometric compositions. For this miniature exhibition, he contributed three boats, now featuring his unique artistic style.
More Information on the World’s Smallest Art Gallery:
Follow the Online Auctions:
- Bell Tower “Chiesa di San Nicolò” by Okuda: https://www.ebay.de/itm/382509675414
- Columns of St. Mark’s Square by Ashenafi Mestika & Nils Kasiske: https://www.ebay.de/itm/113126239885
- Three Boats by Björn Holzweg: https://www.ebay.de/itm/382509678754
DOWNLOADS
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