SAS [ I / II ] Venezia

SAS SECRET APARTMENT SHOW | part I + part II
(3rd floor), Campo Della Tana, Arsenale, Venezia 
April 16-20 + November 18-24 2024
Curated by Vanya Balogh

> SAS web page

Artists:Patrick Colhoun, Sarah Pager, Ann Grim, Gavin Turk, Nicole Farhi, Martin Sexton, Cedric Christie, Andrea Morucchio, Simon Foxton, Toni Gallagher, Paul Sakoilsky, Vanya Balogh, Norman Normski Anderson, Susana Lopez Fernandez, Steve Pettengell, Tiziana Mandolesi, Jon Baker, Marjorie Abela, Gzillion Artist, Tomaz Kramberger

SAS SECRET APARTMENT SHOW is an independent exhibition curated by Vanya Balogh on the occasion of the Venice Art Biennale 2024. Hosted in a “secret” apartment overlooking the entrance to the Arsenale, the exhibition takes place during both the opening and closing weeks of the Biennale.

The project addresses themes such as violence, technology, media manipulation, and power politics, offering a surreal and deeply reflective experience within a transformed domestic environment. The artworks, arranged within a labyrinthine setting, create provocative situations that explore the tension between reality and imagination while reflecting on post-pandemic responses to an increasingly complex world. The exhibition is accessible by appointment only.

This independent initiative transformed a tourist apartment into a dynamic exhibition space, where the works of a diverse group of international artists—each with a distinctive artistic language—engage in dialogue. The artworks integrate seamlessly into the domestic setting, reinterpreting furniture and everyday objects as integral components of the pieces themselves, creating an environment that both disorients and captivates the visitor.

For SAS, Morucchio presents the premiere of History Already Absolved Me, the first in a series of digital portraits belonging to the Puzzling project, dedicated to Vladimir Putin. The title recalls the famous phrase by Fidel Castro: “Condemn me. It does not matter. History will absolve me.” Under the same title, the artist developed both a physical artwork and an animated video NFT.

In the physical piece, the image of Putin is accompanied by a brass plaque engraved with the quotation and enclosed within an antique frame. The neo-pop aesthetic, in contrast with its solemn presentation, reinforces a critical stance toward media narratives and political propaganda. The work highlights how Western media have contributed to shaping public perception through processes of demonization and Russophobia, while raising broader concerns about the increasing control of information in contemporary democracies.

History Already Absolved Me ultimately invites viewers to question dominant narratives, reflect on the influence of media, and recognize how, over time, history reveals the mechanisms of manipulation.

Alongside this work, Morucchio presented a heterogeneous body of works distributed throughout the apartment’s different rooms, each interpreting—through diverse artistic languages—the spirit and core concepts of the SAS project. The selection includes sculptures (Celata and Fantastic Portraits Box Blocks), video and NFT works (Apoti and Making Faces), digital artworks (Fantastic Portrait), and performative videos (Engagement Acts).