James Lee Byars, The Angel, 1989

June 4 – July 5, 2009

Palazzo Pesaro Papafava
Calle de la Rachetta
Cannaregio 3764
30121 Venice

James Lee Byars Lived Here, organised by Milton Keynes Gallery, presents major works by James Lee Byars (1932-1997), and reflects his longstanding relationship with the city of Venice. Occupying the first floor of the Palazzo Pesaro Papafava in central Venice, James Lee Byars Lived Here runs during the Venice Biennale.

For Byars, the city of Venice represented the union of East and West, and he kept a home there for most of his life. One of the key works included in the exhibition is The Angel (1989), which has particular resonance in Venice. Displayed in its own gilded room at the Palazzo, this ethereal floor piece comprises 125 hand-blown Murano glass spheres, each fragile sphere formed by a single breath of the glass blower.

Born in Detroit, Byars (1932-1997) was one of the twentieth century’s most enigmatic artists. From the late 1950s until his death in Cairo, Byars made an expansive body of work in sculpture, installation, drawing and performance. A truly international artist, he led a nomadic lifestyle and was a regular commuter between America, Japan and Europe. He was particularly enamored with Venice, creating many works and performances in response to the city’s rich artistic context. Venice was central to the development of Byars’ practice and continues to contribute to his enduring myth and legacy.

The search for the ‘perfect’ provided the philosophical framework within which Byars conceived his many artworks, events and performances. His sculptures comprise simple and elemental geometric shapes: spheres, cylinders, cubes and cones, all made to his exacting standards in the finest glass, granite, marble, gold leaf and even red roses.

Palazzo Pesaro Papafava is centrally located in Venice, and is a 3 minute walk from the Ca’ d’Oro vaporetto stop on the Grand Canal, serviced by the Linea 1 water bus. The Palazzo is the teaching premises of Warwick University’s Warwick in Venice programme.