Discovering Art and History at Palazzo Mocenigo: A Hidden Gem in Venice

Hello everyone, how are you?

In my last post, I mentioned that I had visited a collateral event of the Venice Biennale. I wasn't really in Venice for long, but as I was heading to catch the train back to Bologna, where I recently moved, I was intrigued by a sign indicating an ongoing exhibition by Ayako Rokkaku at Palazzo Mocenigo, which, by the way, is also the headquarters of the Venice Financial Police.

So, with my usual shyness yet with my polite approach, I asked the person at the reception for more information, and he told me that this exhibition was entirely free to visit. And who am I to miss out on such an opportunity?

I'd heard about this Japanese artist before, but I hadn't had the chance to see her work in person. She's known for her vibrant and spontaneous paintings. This is likely another collateral event of the Biennale, and one of the great things about Venice is that you can see such exhibitions for free. Since the palace is the headquarters of the Financial Police, you do need to leave an ID at the reception to enter.
Anyway, I stayed inside for about an hour, and I must say, I saw some really interesting things. What stood out most was learning that this exhibition was done in collaboration with master glassblowers, who are renowned worldwide, and they created truly beautiful and unique pieces. I tried to capture almost everything I saw throughout the exhibition, and it's a real shame that it was mostly empty, as you can see from the photos I shared. It might be because the exhibition wasn't widely advertised, which is unfortunate because it's really worth seeing.

I also found out that inside Palazzo Mocenigo, there's always been a section dedicated to fabric and costume collections. The Mocenigo family was a patrician family in Venice during the 17th and 18th centuries, and this building, which was donated to the city of Venice, houses a permanent exhibition of fabric collections.

I hope my story didn't bore you, and that my photos were enjoyable. If you find yourself in Venice, definitely visit this place, even though the exhibition seems to be only until summer.

See you next time!