Jakub Špaňhel – Venesia

The title of Jakub Špaňhel's new exhibition already reflects his long-term fascination with Venice, which is increasingly prescribed in his work. The fact that it is a linguistic form used by Venetian, a locally historically defined language distinct from general Italian, suggests an even more personal relationship than before. Not only that, it is a magical city with a unique atmosphere, which is one of the most prominent art centers in Europe. After Vienna, it is also one of the places most Czechs visited first after the fall of the Iron Curtain. And now also the place where Jakub Špaňhel lives part of the year. His previous works depicted what Venice outwardly symbolizes rather than what it actually is. Be it the typical Byzantine basilica in Piazza di San Marco, the veduta with the Venetian lagoon or the famous glass chandeliers and mirrors from Murano. But something else appears for the first time in the new paintings. That is, Venice as he knows it now: side streets, flickering lights of the apartments of the last residents and night canals with turquoise black water...