Venice, Riyadh and the Legacy of Marco Polo: A New Horizon Unfolds.

PRESS RELEASE
A NEW HORIZON UNFOLDS
Venice, Riyadh and the Legacy of Marco Polo

Exhibition Dates:

May 6 – June 6, 2025
Venue: L’Art Pur Foundation, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Opening Event in Riyadh: May 5, 2025, Italian Embassy and Residence
Under the patronage of the Italian Embassy in Saudi Arabia and Società Dante Alighieri

A New Horizon Unfolds: Venice, Riyadh and the Legacy of Marco Polo is a contemporary art exhibition that reimagines the historic voyage of Marco Polo through three distinct artistic voices. Opening to the public on May 6, 2025, at the L’Art Pur Foundation in Riyadh, the exhibition offers a poetic, immersive experience bridging cultures, histories, and imaginaries — from the Grand Canal to the heart of the desert.

The show continues through Jun 6, 2025, and will be preceded by an exclusive launch event on May 5 at the Italian Embassy in Riyadh. An Italian preview opened on April 15, at Settecento Hotel in Presezzo, coinciding with Made in Italy Day.

Curated by Giacomo Marco Valerio of Area35 ArtGallery, this exhibition brings together three artists whose practices engage deeply with memory, identity, and the evolving language of contemporary art:

Florencia S.M. Brück, italo-argentinian artist and new media programmer, presents works from AI Futuristic Narratives in Historical Artistry, a collection that blends Persian visual traditions with artificial intelligence and engraved poetry. Her culminating video installation offers a unified audiovisual tapestry that interprets and expands on the perspectives of all three artists.
Manuel Bonfanti exhibits In the Middle of Now Where, a monumental 33 m² canvas that explores presence, place, and abstraction in tones of volcanic red, alongside Unveiled Space, both invoking spatial memory and poetic geography.
Federico Garibaldi presents four large-format photographs and two video works from his blueShores series, evocative studies of Mediterranean coastlines that deconstruct landscape as a metaphor for inner states, solitude, and resonance.

Set within over 540 square meters of museum-standard exhibition space, L’Art Pur Foundation — founded in 1999 by H.R.H. Princess Adwaa bint Yazid Bin Abdallah — offers a rare platform for contemporary artistic dialogue in the Middle East. The exhibition invites audiences to explore shared themes of transformation, tradition, and technological imagination.

A New Horizon Unfolds is part of a wider international initiative promoting intercultural dialogue through contemporary art, inspired by Venice’s historical role as a gateway between East and West. The project is promoted by Cypher, a cultural association based in Monte Carlo, and supported by:
Italian Embassy in Saudi Arabia, Società Dante Alighieri, Comune e Provincia di Bergamo, Confcommercio Bergamo, and Aedificante Onlus.

Cypher – Promoter and Strategic Facilitator

With its mission to create cultural and business connections across Europe and the Gulf region, Cypher acts as a catalyst for visibility, strategic partnerships, and institutional recognition.

Mission and Role in the Project

Cultural Diplomacy: Supporting the international dissemination of Italian artistic excellence.

Institutional Engagement: Facilitating high-level collaborations between public and private sectors in Europe and the Middle East.

Business and Art Synergy: Creating networking opportunities for sponsors, collectors, and cultural stakeholders through curated events and advisory services.

Curatorship

The exhibition is curated by Area35 Art Gallery (Milan) under the artistic direction of architect and gallerist Giacomo Marco Valerio, appointed Art Ambassador of the project. With over fifteen years of experience in cultural programming and exhibition design, Valerio leads the initiative with a rigorous and visionary approach aimed at fostering sustainable cultural exchanges.

For press inquiries and RSVP:
www.area35artgallery.com | www.cypher98000.com | lartpurfoundation.org

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