For the 61st Venice Biennale, French artist JR unveils ‘Il Gesto’ (The Gesture), a monumental multidisciplinary project that activates the historic Palazzo Ca’ da Mosto—home to The Venice Venice Hotel—through a temporary external installation and a permanent, high-tech tapestry that reimagines social service as a contemporary fresco. Created in collaboration with master weaver Giovanni Bonotto, the work bridges the gap between the Grand Canal’s Veneto-Byzantine facade and a localized model of community care, replacing the biblical figures of Paolo Veronese’s 1563 masterpiece, The Wedding at Cana, with the real-life participants of the Refettorio Paris community kitchen.
A dialogue with historical displacement. The project’s conceptual roots are inextricably linked to the site’s own history and JR’s personal residency at the monastery of San Giorgio Maggiore. For over two centuries, Veronese’s original painting occupied the monastery’s refectory before its Napoleonic removal to the Louvre. By introducing ‘Il Gesto’ to Palazzo Ca’ da Mosto, JR performs a poetic act of restitution. The intervention begins on the building facade, where ultra-lightweight panels transform the historic structure into a public stage. Figures appear to lean out from the windows, inviting passersby into a narrative that moves from the collective exterior to an intimate, woven interior.
Expanding the global horizon. This Venetian intervention follows closely on the heels of the artist’s recent explorations into the mechanics of sight and perspective across the Atlantic. In March, the “JR: Horizons” exhibition opened at Perrotin Los Angeles, where the artist utilized his signature “anamorphosis” technique to challenge the viewer’s point of view through expansive wooden structures. While the California show focused on the vastness of the physical horizon, ‘Il Gesto’ pivots toward the human horizon, finding depth not in landscape, but in the layered stories of a community gathered around a shared meal.
The choreography of the banquet. Inside the palace, the focal point is a massive contemporary tapestry measuring 4.30 by 7.80 meters. It documents a specific social choreography observed at Refettorio Paris, a charity that recovers surplus ingredients to provide high-quality meals for refugees and the homeless. Here, the ‘miracle’ is not the turning of water into wine, but the radical equality of the dining table. In JR’s composition, the hierarchy of the art world is flattened; world-renowned chefs serve as volunteers alongside the people they cook for, emphasizing a human-centric experience where beauty is a shared right rather than a luxury.
Technical strain and material innovation. The physical creation of the piece represents a significant leap in textile artand industrial craftsmanship. Giovanni Bonotto describes a process that pushed industrial mechanical looms to their limits, requiring over 600 hours of research to translate JR’s complex photographic digital files into a woven medium. The material palette reflects an ecological sensitivity, utilizing blue yarns and black shadow tones derived from recycled plastic—sourced from domestic chemical containers—integrated with organic cotton, virgin wool, and traditional Japanese Washi paper.
A sensory archive of voices. Beyond the visual impact of the weaving, ‘Il Gesto’ incorporates an auditory layer that deepens the visitor’s engagement. By interacting with a dedicated digital platform, the audience can listen to the recorded voices and personal histories of the 176 participants depicted in the work. This transformation of the image into a living archive ensures that the marginalized individuals are not merely subjects of a portrait, but active narrators of their own lived experiences within the Venetian landscape.
Community care as a permanent fixture. Unlike many temporary pavilions associated with the Venice Biennale, ‘Il Gesto’ is designed for longevity. The tapestry will remain a permanent feature of The Venice Venice Hotel, serving as a durable record of mutual aid. Furthermore, the project extends its reach into the city’s social fabric through a partnership with Venezia Prossima. Visitors are encouraged to support this local charity, which mirrors the Refettorio’s model, ensuring that the installation’s legacy is measured in tangible social impact rather than just aesthetic acclaim.
Sustainability in the temporary. Even the ephemeral elements of the project adhere to a philosophy of circular economy. Following the conclusion of the Biennale, the lightweight panels used for the external palazzo facade will be donated to local organizations rather than discarded. This commitment to reducing waste aligns with the project’s overarching theme: the transformation of “leftovers”—whether food or building materials—into something of profound value.
The victory of human intelligence. The collaboration between JR and Fondazione Bonotto serves as a testament to the synergy between contemporary art and traditional craftsmanship. The technical challenges posed by the scale and detail of the file caused the looms to crash repeatedly, leading Bonotto to view the final result as a victory for human intelligence over the rigid constraints of the machine. It is a work that captures the pulse of Venice—a city of layers, where historical echoes and modern crises meet at the water’s edge.
Il Gesto by JR | Where: The Venice Venice Hotel, Palazzo Ca’ da Mosto, Cannaregio 5631, Venice, Italy | When: Installation unveiled May 2026 for the 61st Venice Biennale | Information and Tickets