Chiara Dynys donates her illuminating magic books to the Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia


Chiara Dynys donated her large site-specific installation "Enlightening Grimoires" to the Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia. It is now part of the permanent exhibition itinerary of the Fortuny Museum in Venice.

In line with her own artistic research on the themes of knowledge and individual awareness through books that “illuminate” our existential journey, Chiara Dynys presents Enlightening Grimoires (2021-22), the large site-specific installation that the artist donates to the Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia and that has now been placed in the permanent exhibition itinerary at the Fortuny Museum in Venice.

Specially designed for the space on the third floor of the museum and a natural evolution of the work Enlightening Books, illuminated books, currently on view at the Mart in Rovereto, Enlightening Grimoires (illuminating magic books) is composed of two hundred and fifty hand-painted sandblasted glass books in the four colors that the artist associated with the magical colors that Mariano and Henriette Fortuny used in their designs and textiles, including gold, white, black, and purple marbled with oxides. The glass books are installed on long corten steel shelves with LED backlighting. Only some books are illuminated because only some books illuminate our existential path.

The books and book series created over the past two decades by the artist represent sculptural and installation elements that interweave the archetypal dimension of the"book form," which Western culture has and continues to refer to as a metaphor for knowledge, and"light" as an intangible and environmental element that takes on the meaning of discovery and vision. Enlightening Grimoires continues this research in a perspective of deep dialogue with the historical and geographical identity of the Fortuny Museum, an arcane and mysterious place.

The collaboration between Chiara Dynys and MUVE thus continues; dating back to 2020 is the reportage Sabra Beauty Everywhere, exhibited at the Museo Correr in Venice, made by the artist in Sabra Shatila during the war in Syria in the Palestinian refugee camps about childhood, children’s games and their hopes.

On the occasion of the presentation of the donation of the work by Chiara Dynys, which was held on Sunday, May 21 at the Fortuny Museum, there was also the event The Glass Atlas, curated by Alessandro Castiglioni: a moment of in-depth study dedicated to Chiara Dynys’ practice with alternating projections and speeches by Chiara Squarcina, Area Director of Museum Activities of the MUVE, Angelo Crespi, Daniela Ferrari, Renata Cristina Mazzantini and Alessandro Castiglioni himself.

Chiara Dynys donates her illuminating magic books to the Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia
Chiara Dynys donates her illuminating magic books to the Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia


Warning: the translation into English of the original Italian article was created using automatic tools. We undertake to review all articles, but we do not guarantee the total absence of inaccuracies in the translation due to the program. You can find the original by clicking on the ITA button. If you find any mistake,please contact us.