Venice Has a New Art Patron and His Name Is Louis Vuitton
For about a decade American Louis Vuitton clients who collect art have enjoyed an unusual perk: access to a secret James Turrell installation inside one of the label’s Vegas emporiums. Now their European peers can indulge in a similar feast for the eyes ensconced at the Venice flagship. There, on the parlor floor of a 1906 building, German artist Katharina Grosse fashioned Apollo, Apollo, a shimmering floor-to-ceiling textile that references Fortuny fabrics and terrazzo mosaics. The effect is Italo-disco on the canals of La Serenissima. Downstairs, to be sure, are the label’s leather goods, including an immersive room featuring a constellation of Artycapucines.
Luxury brands are increasingly tricking out their brick-and-mortars—just look at these pages. Vuitton, owned by billionaire collector Bernard Arnault, is seducing its base with art, carving out real estate in six major markets for a gallery concept called Espace. Produced by Fondation Louis Vuitton to coincide with the influx of big spenders streaming into Venice for the Biennale, the Grosse commission is not its only game in town.
The brand is also backing the ongoing restoration by the nonprofit Venetian Heritage of the Ca’ d’Oro, a late Gothic palazzo that is home to such works as one of the three Saint Sebastians by Renaissance master Andrea Mantegna (seen up top). Conveniently, it’s just a quick vaporetto ride from the San Marco boutique. For LV VIPs, naturally, private transport can be arranged.
This story appears in the Summer 2022 issue of Town & Country. SUBSCRIBE NOW
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