Karolina Árpa & Giuliana Rolli · Shapes of Water

The opening of Shapes of Water was a luminous and joyful moment, perfectly attuned to Venice itself. The gallery was alive with conversation and curiosity as a wonderfully diverse crowd of local and international collectors, artists, and art lovers gathered to celebrate this new exhibition devoted to the energy, movement and beauty of water. The atmosphere felt fluid and open, a true reflection of the theme, with visitors lingering, exchanging impressions, and allowing the works to unfold slowly before them.

The exhibition brings together original paintings by Karolina Arpa and ceramic works by Giuliana Rolli, curated by Katia Margolis. It was a great privilege to show these two artists, espacially in such a fascinating dialogue that feels both intuitive and deeply rooted in material practice. Rather than depicting water, the works seem to register it: pigment drifting, settling, and breathing on the canvas; clay shaped, bound, and transformed through water’s quiet force. As Margolis beautifully suggests, water reveals itself through encounter, with surface, time, and perception, and in Venice, this encounter becomes almost autobiographical, a continuous play of reflection, movement, and becoming.

Set within the unique context of the lagoon city, Shapes of Water resonated strongly with visitors, who recognized in the works not only Venice’s physical presence, but its emotional and perceptual rhythms, its stati d’anima. The opening was a celebration of material, collaboration, and shared experience, marking a vibrant moment for the gallery and a promising beginning for the exhibition. We are delighted by the response and grateful to everyone who joined us to inaugurate this flowing and evocative show.