Sometimes you find correspondences between art and contemporary events: a painting from the 1800s can indeed still make you think about a modern exhibition.
The painting "The Lace-Makers of Venice" by Egisto Lancerotto (1847-1916) depicts a colourful scene: outside the deconsecrated church of Saints Filippo, Giacomo and Apollonia in Venice, where the Jesurum lace factory was located, lace-makers intently working on their pillow lace designs, are interrupted at their work by a merry band of revelers.
The painting reminds us that the Lace Bienniale is currently on at Burano's Museo del Merletto (Lace Museum) and in the rest of the lagoon.
The event offers the chance to lace fans to see exhibitions and take part in talks that will hopefully introduce younger generations to this art. Burano's Lace Museum preserves examples of lace that allow visitors to discover the differences between the Burano stitch and the Venice point, or between Burano lacemakers, who operate with needle lace (merletto ad aghi), and those at Pellestrina who are specialised in the production of bobbin lace (merletto a fuselli).
Burano's Scuola dei Merletti (Lace School) has also a rich archive in which it preserves albums of drawings. Usually, they featured preparatory drawings printed on green paper. From 1900 onwards this colour was indeed chosen because it was the most relaxing shade for the eyes and it was therefore suitable for long and meticulous processing like that of lace.
The drawings may inspire modern interpretations of lace (lace NFTs anybody?), but the Biennale is instead a way to promote the candidacy project for the recognition of Italian Merletto (lace) as a UNESCO intangible heritage.
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