Francesco Vezzoli, installation view, Musei delle Lacrime, 2024, Museo Correr, Venice, Italy. Photo credit: Melania Dalle Grave_DSL Studio.

Francesco Vezzoli has always raised questions about gender dynamics and art history with his works; he has also provoked strong reactions at times, but always with the aim of provoking debate and confrontation.
Known for his habit of embroidering his own paintings, Francesco Vezzoli has challenged traditional categories of male and female, subverting artistic conventions.

Now his works, ranging from historical pieces to new creations, are on temporary display from April 17 to Nov. 24, 2024 at the Museo Correr in Venice, offering a rare opportunity to see more than two decades of artistic production up close.

The works of Francesco Vezzoli

Francesco Vezzoli, CASINO (GIOTTO, WYNN AND WARHOL WERE GAMBLERS), inkjet print on canvas, paper, metallic embroidery, artist’s frame, 74 x 58 cm 2024, installation view, Musei delle Lacrime, 2024, Museo Correr, Venice, Italy. Courtesy the Artist and APALAZZOGALLERY. Photo credit: Melania Dalle Grave_DSL Studio.

Francesco Vezzoli is an artist who investigates what the links are between art history and gender issues, using embroidery as a personal and intimate form of expression. Through his art, Vezzoli overturns traditional expectations, entering into a dialogue with an art history dominated by the rules of masculinity.
With his works he intends not only to recover the past but to open up new interpretations and experiences relative to cultural heritage, not only Italian.

THE MUSEUM OF TEARS: AN EMOTIONAL JOURNEY THROUGH ART

Almost three decades ago, Francesco Vezzoli began embroidering tears on images of famous masterpieces, building a “personal museum” that challenges the very idea of the museum as a symbol of power.
This series, known as the “Museum of Tears,” is an investigation into human emotions often overlooked in art, such as weeping, which is considered a sign of weakness and rarely represented in historical works of art.
Art, in fact, for Vezzoli is a medium that can profoundly transform our life experience, showing aspects of human existence that we often avoid publicly displaying.

These works that are part of the “Museum of Tears” are now being exhibited in Venice temporarily.
The exhibition at the Museo Correr was conceived in collaboration with the Venice International Foundation, which made it possible to place Vezzoli’s masterpieces within the rooms designed by renowned architect Carlo Scarpa. This space provides an ideal context for dialogue between Vezzoli’s historical works and contemporary interpretations.

The artist sees this opportunity as a significant journey into the history of Venice, where the contemporary and heritage come together, enriching the perception of life in novel ways and challenging existing conventions. Scarpa’s installation and Vezzoli’s works create a dialogue that respects the dual narrative of Venice: a city of immense historical heritage and a laboratory of artistic modernity.

Francesco Vezzoli, PEEP SHOW (AFTER GIOVAN FRANCESCO CAROTO), 2024, inkjet print on canvas, metallic embroidery, artist’s frame, 32.5 x 41.5 cm, installation view, Musei delle Lacrime, 2024, Museo Correr, Venice, Italy.
Courtesy the Artist and APALAZZOGALLERY. Photo credit: Melania Dalle Grave_DSL Studio.

Vezzoli’s works, temporarily visible to the public, offer a window into more than two decades of work by an artist who continues to challenge and reinterpret the meaning of art in the contemporary context. If you are in Venice or have the opportunity to visit, this exhibition is an unmissable opportunity to immerse yourself in Francesco Vezzoli’s emotional and artistic universe.