GREEN LENS
AN ARTWORK BY DOUG AITKEN
COMMISSIONED BY ANTHONY VACCARELLO
FOR SAINT LAURENT
VENICE 16-30 JULY

GREEN LENS IS A LARGE-SCALE INSTALLATION BY ARTIST DOUG AITKEN, COMMISSIONED BY ANTHONY VACCARELLO FOR SAINT LAURENT.

A LIVING ART-INSTALLATION AND A CULTURAL STAGE, SET IN VENEZIA, ITALY, WHERE THE CITY LANDSCAPE CREATES A STRONG ECO NARRATIVE WITHIN THE ARTWORK THAT SPEAKS TO THE IDEA OF THE FUTURE WORLD.

LOCATED ON THE ISLAND OF ISOLA DELLA CERTOSA, GREEN LENS IS A LIVING EXPERIENTIAL ARTWORK AND ALSO A DESTINATION, A PLACE TO EXPLORE, TO INSPIRE AND TO BE INSPIRED.

IT WILL EVOKE THE FUTURE THROUGH ITS CRYSTALLINE REFLECTIVE INTERIOR WHICH REVEALS A KALEIDOSCOPIC VIEW AND DENSE BOTANIC ENVIRONMENT. IT WILL BE A FREESTANDING ARTWORK, AND FROM THE EXTERIOR, IT WILL CREATE A COMBINATION OF REFLECTIONS MIXED WITH CLOUDS, MIST AND WILD GREEN VEGETATION EVOKING A MYSTERIOUS PRESENCE. INSIDE THE SCULPTURE THERE WILL BE AN ENORMOUS LIVING KALEIDOSCOPE-LIKE SPACE THAT REFLECTS THE LANDSCAPE, SKY AND THE SHIFTING SURROUNDINGS.

THIS INSTALLATION TURNS THE LANDSCAPE INTO A LIVING ABSTRACTION.

GREEN LENS SPARKS DIALOGUE THAT LINKS THE NATURAL LANDSCAPE WITH OUR FUTURE. IN THE 21ST-CENTURY, WE LOOK TOWARD TO THE FUTURE AND HOW TO HARMONIZE WITH THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT, STRIVING TO CREATE A NEW BALANCED WORLD. WE SEEK AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE NATURE IS EMPOWERED AGAIN, CREATIVITY IS CHAMPIONED, AND THE WEIGHT OF THE PAST LIFTS, BECOMING FLUID AND INSPIRING.

IN CONCOMITANCE WITH BIENNALE OF ARCHITECTURE, THE ARTWORK WILL BE ACCESSIBLE UNTIL THE END OF JULY, LIKE A LIQUID ARCHITECTURE, CREATING A FULLY IMMERSIVE ENVIRONMENT. THE IDEA IS TO ENCOURAGE ALL VISITORS TO LOOK TOWARDS A POSITIVE VIEW OF THE FUTURE, A SYNERGY WHERE NATURAL LANDSCAPE AND INNOVATION MERGE.

GREEN LENS WILL ALSO BE ACTIVATED WITH A SEQUENCE OF PERFORMANCES AND CONVERSATIONS THAT ARE THOUGHT-PROVOKING AND INSPIRING, FOCUSING ON THE FUTURE AS INTERPRETED BY MUSICIANS, SPEAKERS AND DANCERS. “WHAT IS THE FUTURE?” IS THE NARRATIVE THREADED THROUGHOUT THE PROJECT. THESE ACTIVATIONS WILL BE FILMED AND RELEASED FOR THE PUBLIC TO HAVE ACCESS TO A LIVING ARTWORK AND STAGE FOR VOICES, CREATIVITY, CULTURE, PERFORMANCE AND MUSIC.

CENTRAL TO THE PREPARATION OF EVERY SAINT LAURENT’S EVENTS AND GREEN LENS INNER REFLECTION, ALL MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT ARE RENTED OR IF PRODUCED ARE EITHER REUSED, RECYCLED OR DONATED TO SUPPORT IN PARTICULAR ARTISTIC AND CULTURAL PROJECTS.
ALL GREENHOUSE GASES EMISSIONS RELATED TO THE EVENT ARE OFFSET THROUGH REFORESTATION PROGRAMS PARTICULARLY DEDICATED TO ISOLA DELLA CERTOSA GARDEN, RESPECTING ITS NATURAL AND ORIGINAL ECOSYSTEM THROUGH A CONSULTING LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL SPECIALIST.
TREES, PLANTS LIVING IN GREEN LENS WILL BE REPLANTED IN ADDITION TO THE ONES WHICH SAINT LAURENT WILL BE DONATING TO ISOLA DELLA CERTOSA AS PART OF THE REFORESTATION PROGRAM AND THE RESTRUCTURING PROJECT SUPPORTED BY THE BRAND TO MAKE THE CLOISTER RUINS ACCESSIBLE AGAIN TO VENEZIA CITIZENS AND ITS INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC. SAINT LAURENT WILL ALSO RESTRUCTURE THE WALL OF CERTOSA WHICH WAS DAMAGED IN 2019.
“GREEN LENS IS A LIVING ARTWORK. IT IS BOTH AN ARTWORK, INSTALLATION AND STAGE. IT'S LIKE A LIGHTHOUSE, THAT ONE CAN JOURNEY TO AND HAVE A VERY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, WHILE IT ALSO TRANSMITS LIGHT, IDEAS AND QUESTIONS. A FOCAL POINT THAT ALLOWS ALL OF US TO SHARE OUR IDEAS AND VISIONS FOR THE FUTURE POST COVID...A CELEBRATION AND INQUIRY INTO THE FUTURE.” - DOUG AITKEN “SAINT LAURENT’S CULT ICONOGRAPHY ALWAYS COMBINED CREATIVE DISCIPLINES ACROSS ART AND FASHION. THROUGH THOSE COLLABORATIONS I WANT TO MERGE DIFFERENT FIELDS’ ARTISTIC VISIONS IN A UNIQUE ARTWORK.” ANTHONY VACCARELLO

VISITOR INFORMATION
SAINT LAURENT X GREEN LENS X DOUG AITKEN ISOLA DELLA CERTOSA
OPEN MONDAY TO SUNDAY
JULY 16TH
10:00 A.M. - 7:00 P.M.
JULY 17TH - JULY 30TH
10:00 A.M.-10:00 P.M.
LAST ENTRY: FIFTEEN MINUTES BEFORE CLOSING TIME
FREE SHUTTLE EVERY HOUR FROM SAN MARCO GIARDINETTI TO ISOLA DELLA CERTOSA
FIRST DEPARTURE FROM SAN MARCO GIARDINETTI AT 10:00 A.M.
LAST DEPARTURE FROM SAN MARCO GIARDINETTI AT 9:00 P.M. (6:00 P.M. ON JULY 16TH)
LAST RETURN FROM ISOLA DELLA CERTOSA AT 10:15 P.M (7:15 P.M. ON JULY 16TH)