Curatorial Essay
Under One Moon
Two cities, seemingly worlds apart, tell similar tales of people’s lives, memories, and histories greatly shaped by the rhythms of water. One sits between the sky and the Venetian lagoon, while the other lies along the estuaries of Manila Bay. Though separated by a vast geographic distance, these two places respond to the same subtle force from afar—the pull of a distant, glowing presence in the night sky.
This exhibition initiates a vivid conversation between two worlds and explores their affinities through a range of metaphors, materials, and images. Central to this dialogue is the exhibition’s titular celestial body – the moon – which serves as a recurring motif linking the works while foregrounding the natural phenomena behind the shared experiences of two tidal cities. Taking cues from “minor keys,” the exhibition invites viewers to listen to the lived experiences, daily narratives, material culture, and other quotidian signals of life built on unstable grounds. While not denying the possibility of catastrophe brought about by climate change in areas where land and sea regularly overlap, the exhibition attends to smaller details that are always present or slowly unfold before the louder, dramatic moments of disaster. Debris gradually accumulating in water, rising tide lines on walls, or bodies and routines adapting to perennial flooding – all of these experiences silently accrue over time like sediment that potentially thickens into an environmental crisis.
Read more →Sanaysay ng Kurador
Sa Ilalim ng Iisang Buwan
Dalawang lungsod, na tila magkalayo ang mundo, ay naglalahad ng mga magkakatulad na kwento tungkol sa buhay, alaala, at kasaysayan ng mga tao na labis na hinubog ng indayog ng tubig. Ang isa ay nakatayo sa pagitan ng langit at ng lagoon ng Venice, habang ang isa naman ay matatagpuan sa mga wawa ng Manila Bay. Kahit na pinaghihiwalay ng malawak na heograpikal na distansya, ang dalawang lugar na ito ay tumutugon sa iisang banayad na puwersa mula sa malayo—ang hatak ng isang maliwanag na presensya sa panggabing kalangitan.
Binubuksan ng eksibisyong ito ang isang makulay na usapan sa pagitan ng dalawang mundo, at tinutuklas ang kanilang mga pagkakahawig sa pamamagitan ng iba’t ibang metapora, materyales, at imahe. Nakasentro ang diyalogong ito sa isang pamilyar na liwanag sa kalawakan na siyang inspirasyon sa pamagat ng eksibisyon – ang buwan. Ito rin ay nagsisilbing pangkalahatang tema na nag-uugnay sa iba’t-ibang likha habang itinatampok ang natural na penomena sa likod ng magkatulad na karanasan ng dalawang lungsod na hinubog ng pagtaas at pagbaba ng tubig-dagat.
Magbasa pa →Saggio Curatoriale
Sotto la Stessa Luna
Due città, apparentemente lontane tra loro, raccontano storie di vite, memorie e passati profondamente simili, modellati dai ritmi dell’acqua. Una si adagia tra il cielo e la laguna veneziana, mentre l’altra sorge lungo gli estuari della baia di Manila. Sebbene separati da una vasta distanza geografica, questi due luoghi rispondono a una stessa, sottile influenza che s’irradia da lontano: la forza di una remota e luminosa presenza nel cielo notturno.
Questa esposizione innesca un intenso dialogo tra questi due mondi, esplorando le loro affinità attraverso una serie di metafore, materiali e immagini. Centrale nel confronto è il corpo celeste che dà il titolo: la luna. Questa funge da motivo ricorrente e mette in relazione tra loro le opere, ponendo in primo piano i fenomeni naturali che si celano dietro le esperienze condivise di due realtà soggette alle maree. Ispirandosi a “In Minor Keys”, titolo della 61. Biennale Arte, la mostra invita i visitatori a sintonizzarsi su esistenze vissute, narrazioni della quotidianità, cultura materiale e altri segnali di vite costruite su basamenti instabili. Mentre non nega la possibilità di catastrofi causate dai cambiamenti climatici in aree in cui terra e mare si sovrappongono regolarmente, il percorso espositivo tende a concentrarsi sui dettagli più piccoli, in alcuni casi ordinari, in altri riferiti a quanto si svela lentamente prima dei momenti più fragorosi e drammatici del disastro. Detriti che si accumulano gradualmente, il livello dell’acqua che sale bagnando i muri, corpi e abitudini che si adattano alle continue inondazioni: tutto questo si sovrappone silenziosamente nel tempo, come sedimenti che potenzialmente si addensano fino a trasformarsi in una crisi ambientale.
Continua a leggere →Two cities, seemingly worlds apart, tell similar tales of people’s lives, memories, and histories greatly shaped by the rhythms of water.
About the Artist
Ronald Ventura
b. 1973, Manila, Philippines
Ronald Ventura (b. 1973, Manila, Philippines) is a Filipino visual artist from Malabon City. He earned a BFA in Painting from the University of Santo Tomas and later taught at UST’s College of Fine Arts & Design (1993–2001). His international exhibition history includes solo presentations in New York at Tyler Rollins Fine Art, including Wild State of Mind, E.R., Thousand Islands, and Metaphysics of Skin, as well as shows in Taipei, including Project: Finding Home, Tokyo at Whitestone Ginza New Gallery, Milan at Primo Marella Gallery, Lugano, Switzerland, Singapore, and Hong Kong at Perrotin. He has also participated in major art fairs and biennial contexts internationally, including Prague Biennial 4, Art Dubai, MiArt, KIAF, Art Central Hong Kong, and Taipei Dangdai.
Ventura is known for a distinctive layered visual language that fuses virtuosic realism with cartoons, graffiti-like marks, and quotations from art history. Working across painting, drawing, sculpture, and installation, he builds dense, cinematic images where multiple cultural registers — pop, folklore, and the classical — collide in a single frame. Ventura has presented widely in Asia, Europe, and the United States, and his work is held in major private and institutional collections.
About the Curator
Ruel Caasi
b. 1971, Manila, Philippines
Ruel Caasi (b. 1971, Manila) is a visual artist and independent curator whose curatorial practice involves exhibition development, design, facilitation, and long-term engagement with artists.
Drawing inspiration mainly from an artist’s sense of material and the power of images to interact with spaces and contexts, he conceives shows with strong visual impact and generates meaning through sequencing rather than statement.
His curatorial projects span distinguished venues and events in the Philippines and across Asia, Europe, and the United States. Some of the notable ones include Quick Turn on Hyper Highways at the Metropolitan Museum of Manila (2022), Wild State of Mind at Tyler Rollins Fine Art, New York (2017), Territorial Crossing at Primo Marella Gallery, Milan (2018), and Project: Finding Home at MOCA Taipei (2016).
His expertise also extends to institutional programming, with years of institutional affiliations and collaborations. In 2007, he served as the curator of Pintô Art Museum until 2013, when he became the founding director of the artist collective The Working Animals Art Projects. He currently directs Ronald Ventura Studio and Cloud Grey Gallery in Manila.
Exhibition
Organizer
MuSe – Museo delle Scienze
The MuSe – Museo delle Scienze is a science museum based in Trento, Italy, designed by Renzo Piano. Committed to scientific research and cultural outreach, MuSe collaborates with international institutions to explore the intersections of art, nature, and science. For Luna, MuSe brings its expertise in immersive exhibition design and ecological discourse, supporting a project that aligns with its mission of inspiring curiosity and environmental awareness through innovative public programming.
Castel Belasi – Contemporary Art Center for Eco Thought
Castel Belasi is a contemporary art center situated in the Trentino valley of northern Italy, dedicated to fostering dialogue between contemporary art and ecological thinking. Rooted in the belief that art can serve as a vehicle for environmental reflection and social transformation, Castel Belasi curates projects and residencies that interrogate the relationship between human activity, landscape, and global systems. Its partnership with Luna underscores its commitment to amplifying voices that engage with themes of climate, cultural memory, and cross-disciplinary thought on the international stage.
Programs
The exhibition is accompanied by a public program, including a masterclass by the artist developed in connection with We Are the Archipelago, a public platform focused on eco-critical art, anthropocene dynamics, and ecological transition, as well as an online publication featuring essays, illustrations, commentaries, and a conversation with the artist.
Masterclass and Speaking Events by Ronald Ventura
To be announced. Da comunicare.
Details will be announced shortly. We appreciate your patience and invite you to revisit this page for updated information.
Publications
Location
docks, cantieri cucchini
Castello 1A
30122 Venice
Open Hours
From 9 May to 22 November
11am-7pm Tuesday to Sunday
Closed on Mondays
Contact