Photo by Riccardo Banfi. Courtesy of the artist and Capsule Shanghai.
Capsule Shanghai is delighted to announce the opening of When We Become Us² the inaugural exhibition of Capsule Venice, the gallery’s newest venture, and an extension of Capsule’s long-lasting and ongoing commitment in China. Capsule Venice will present four exhibitions, accompanied by a programme of events, site-specific projects, and cultural activities curated by independent curator Manuela Lietti engaging the versatile indoor and outdoor spaces of the venue throughout 2024.
For its inaugural show hosted on the premises of Fondazione Marchesani in Dorsoduro, the Italian headquarters of the gallery, Capsule has chosen to present an expanded version of When We Become Us — the exhibition that marked Capsule’s opening in 2016 in Shanghai. On this occasion, the show is renamed When We Become Us².
Photo by Riccardo Banfi. Courtesy of the artist and Capsule Shanghai.
This group exhibition occupies different semantic layers. On one hand it offers a glimpse of the poetics defining the work of the twenty-nine participating artists, providing an overview of the gallery’s programme (as well as some new collaborations), an overview of unexplored synergies among artists who have never exhibited all together before. On the other hand the exhibition is a heartfelt expression of the methodology embraced by the gallery during its seven-year journey. When We Become Us2 is a reflection on what it means to run a space which, while functioning as a commercial organism, constantly engages in a process of mutual nurturing, growth, and continuous dialogue with the artists who bring the gallery to life. It is the ideal manifesto for Capsule Venice which seeks to become a hub blending a deep knowledge of the ecology of contemporary art with a humanistic, “artisanal” touch.
When We Become Us²is literally a call to action: it incorporates a relational dynamism, and discloses a meticulous design, activating a wide range of interfaces in an effort to visualise what happens when a “we” coheres and becomes self-aware. An encompassing notion of “we” allows for the full embrace and unfolding of individualities, while simultaneously remaining aware of our potential as part of a whole; the “us” we all contribute to creating.
It is Capsule’s first step towards building an enduring bond with the city of Venice, acting as a catalyst, to provide a site of experience in which artists, audiences, art professionals, collectors, and the community at large become “us”.