Genius Loci – Spirit of Place

Produced with the Berengo Studio, the exhibition at the Palazzo Cavalli-Franchetti focuses on sculptures and installations that “go beyond the museum or gallery space, addressing instead the complex spheres of the public realm and the built environment,” per a statement. Ai Weiwei’s piece is particularly complex, given his restriction on leaving China and its location in the palazzo's garden, a setting he cannot view firsthand. Like the artist, the bikes have lost their mobility by being melded together. Therefore the sculpture’s “spirit of place” is activated from afar; nevertheless it creates a unique experience for visitors to the exhibition and those (like me in this photo) traveling along the Grand Canal.