Daniel Buren, 2014
On the occasion of the 14th Architecture Biennale in Venice, the Lisson Gallery and Berengo Studio presented an exhibition addressing the complex relationship between art and the public realm, entitled 'Genius Loci – The Spirit of Place' (7 June – 23 November 2014). By existing beyond the walls, ‘public’ art can help define the character of its location, sometimes functioning harmoniously and sometimes in tension with the architecture or landscape it inhabits.
As experienced commissioners of large-scale contemporary art the Lisson Gallery brought together a range of major pieces by 19 artists, both inside and outside the historic Venetian Palazzo Franchetti. The show included models, drawings, proposals, situations and sculptures – some unrealised, some temporary, some permanent – that allow us to better appreciate, contemplate and understand the world around us. The exhibition featured works by Ai Weiwei, Daniel Buren , Tony Cragg, Richard Deacon, Spencer Finch, Dan Graham, Shirazeh Houshiary, Anish Kapoor, Lee Ufan, Richard Long, Tatsuo Miyajima, Julian Opie , Pedro Reyes, Santiago Sierra, Koen Vanmechelen, Joana Vasconcelos, Lawrence Weiner, Richard Wentworth and Tokujin Yoshioka.