Simone Post's "She Knew She/It/They Would Melt" at Venice Biennale

Artist Simone Post's installation, titled 'She Knew She/It/They Would Melt,' transforms the historical interiors of Palazzo Contarini Polignac in Venice into a fantastical, candy-coated environment.

This captivating exhibit, presented as part of the 'Still Joy – From Ukraine into the World' event at the 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, immerses visitors in a dreamlike experience where ordinary household items and family portraits are reimagined with confectionery. Sweets, fashioned into chandeliers and framed images, evoke a sense of childhood wonder while simultaneously underscoring themes of domestic remembrance, whimsical imagination, and resilience in the face of adversity.

Post's work extends beyond simple aesthetics, using sugar as a profound medium to delve into the creation of emotional landscapes. The artist’s exploration of the inherent impermanence and fragility of candy parallels the delicate nature of joy, suggesting that happiness is a fleeting state that requires continuous nurture and rediscovery. This artistic statement is particularly poignant within the broader context of the exhibition, which features testimonies from a Ukrainian veteran and explores how joy can persist even amidst conflict and displacement, serving as a powerful emotional counterpoint to global turmoil.

The installation, while seemingly playful, is a profound meditation on the transient yet powerful aspects of human emotion and memory. Through her art, Post invites viewers to embrace the ephemeral nature of pleasure and to find strength in vulnerability, demonstrating that even in a fragmented world, softness and imagination can provide a path to navigate complex realities without succumbing to their harshness. The dissolving candy structures symbolize a resistance to hardening, encouraging a continuous pursuit of emotional openness and fleeting moments of comfort.