Real Venice: An Art Sale to Help Save the City

Venice is in peril. Experts believe the city is slowly sinking into the water.

Now, 14 photographers considered at the top of their field, are selling
their photographic depictions of Venice to help raise money to save the
Italian city known for its streets of water.

The works are on show in Venice, through the end of this month, in an
exhibit titled Real Venice. They will go on auction at Phillips de Pury
& Company, in London, England, on Nov. 3.

All of the money raised from the sale will be donated to Venice in
Peril, a charity dedicated to helping preserve Venice from rising waters
and heavy tourism.

“Real Venice is a necessary initiative that harnesses the creativity,
the vigor, the internationalism—and the financial power—of contemporary
art to saving Venice, an ancient, exquisite city where art has always
been of the essence,” writes Anna Somers Cocks, chairman of Venice in
Peril on its website.

Fourteen photographers were selected to visit Venice and were given
“absolute freedom” to make a portfolio of images. Contributing
photographers include Lynne Cohen, Philip-Lorca diCorcia, Antonio
Girbés, Nan Goldin, Pierre Gonnord, Dionisio Gonzalez, Candida Höfer,
Tiina Itkonen, Mimmo Jodice, Tim Parchikov, Matthias Schaller, Jules
Spinatsch, Robert Walker, and Hiroshi Watanabe.