Step inside the urban fabric of Venice, where a monumental visual dialogue unfolds on the façade of the Palazzetto dello sport Giobatta Gianquinto. "Heavy is the head that wears the crown" (2026), a site-specific public tribute by artist Derrick Adams, honors the enduring legacy of the late, pioneering curator Koyo Kouoh. The composition features a striking frontal pose, flattened forms, and radiant golden hues that reference the floating city’s iconic Byzantine mosaics, transforming a prominent public canvas near the Arsenale into a powerful celebration of Pan-African creative leadership.
Stretching across the sports center's exterior along the Rio della Tana, the multidisciplinary collage reacts dynamically to the shifting Venetian light. As sunbeams reflect off the canal, the golden rays radiating from a crown that literally spells out "JOY" seem to shimmer, subverting the traditional gravity of systemic responsibility into a poetic, radical act of celebration. It is an environment conceived as a living monument—a profound cross-cultural intervention where local Venetian heritage and contemporary identity collide in the public realm.
artist @derrickadamsny
gallery @gagosian
images @ave_zz
#VeniceBiennale #PublicArt #DerrickAdams #KoyoKouoh #Gagosian
It is great to see Milan celebrating Robert Mapplethorpe, whose work holds a significant place in our collection.
From January 29 to May 17, 2026, @palazzorealemilano is presenting “Robert Mapplethorpe. Le forme del desiderio”, an extensive selection by one of the most refined and controversial artists of the twentieth century.
Curated by @denis_curti and produced by @marsilioarte in collaboration with the @robertmapplethorpefoundation , this second chapter of a trilogy – after Venice and before Rome – engages directly with the core of Mapplethorpe’s aesthetic research, focusing on his sensual nudes and iconic portraits.
Photo by @ave_zz
