Italian sculpter Lorenzo Quinn's Building Bridges in Venice.

This impressive sculpture named Building Bridges by renowned contemporary Italian artist Lorenzo Quinn has been installed in the basin of the Arsenale in the Castello District of Venice.

Lorenzo Quinn's Building Bridges, Venice Biennale 2019 on May 10, 2019 in Venice, Italy. (Photo by David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images for Halcyon Art International)

Building Bridges is composed of six pairs of monumental arms with touching hands,  each pair measuring 15 metres high and 20 metres wide. Billed as the pinnacle of Quinn’s artistic expression to date, the spectacular sculpture speaks to humanity’s commonality, with an emphasis of bridging differences in all aspects of life – geographically, philosophically, culturally and emotionally, according to the artist.

The official unveiling of Building Bridges took place in Venice on the evening of 9 May 2019 with the extraordinary participation of Andrea Bocelli, a musical performance by pianist Lola Astanova, and the presence of the Mayor of Venice, dignitaries and the general public.

Lorenzo Quinn's Building Bridges, Venice Biennale 2019
unveiled on May 10, 2019 in Venice, Italy.
(Photo by David M. Benett
/Dave Benett/ Getty Images for Halcyon Art International)

Lorenzo Quinn, whose work is inspired by such masters as Michelangelo, Bernini and Rodin, said: “Venice is a World Heritage City and it is the city of bridges. It is the perfect location to spread a message of world unity and peace so that more of us around the world build bridges with others rather than walls and barriers.”

“Each pair of the sculpture’s hands celebrate one of six universal human values: Friendship, to build on the future together; Wisdom, to make mutually beneficial decisions; Help, to cement lasting relationships; Faith, to trust in your heart and self-worth; Hope, to persevere in worthwhile endeavours; and Love, the fundamental purpose for it all.”

Presently Quinn has a one-man exhibition - Possibilità  - at the Halcyon Gallery on New Bond Street, London, which is open to the public until 30 June 2019.

President of Halcyon Gallery Paul Green said: “Lorenzo Quinn has always spoken a universal language, wherever in the world his artwork is placed it creates an immediate impact, whether it be in Mumbai, Venice, New York or Shanghai. Building Bridges is his most ambitious project to date both in scale and thought, and will send a unifying message of hope around the world.” 

The Halcyon Gallery has represented Quinn’s work for the past twenty years. With three galleries in London, Halcyon specialises in modern and contemporary art, and works closely with emerging and established international artists to produce world-class art exhibitions that translate to a global audience.