Tradition Meets Technology: AI and Classic Masterpieces in Venice
Venice once again becomes the stage for innovation in the arts with “The Idea of Sculpture. From the Hand to the Robot”, an ambitious exhibition at Palazzo Bollani (August 30 – November 19, 2025). Curated by art critic Roberta Semeraro and project manager Giovanna Cicutto, the exhibition brings together masterpieces of the past and contemporary experiments with artificial intelligence, inviting visitors to reflect on the continuous transformation of sculpture.
In a city already hosting the 2025 Architecture Biennale, this exhibition creates a meaningful dialogue between tradition and technology, between Renaissance workshops and the new era of algorithm-driven creativity.
From the hand to the robot: in Venice, Michelangelo, Study of Three Nudes for a Transfiguration (or Study for the Apostles in the ‘Transfiguration’)
Sculpture Between Tradition and Innovation
The central idea of the exhibition is simple yet profound: to show what has happened to sculpture over the centuries, moving from the artisan’s hand to today’s intelligent machines. At Palazzo Bollani, visitors can see not only artworks in their final form but also sketches, drawings, three-dimensional models, and even a robot-sculptor working live.
This confrontation of techniques reveals how much the discipline has relied on science and innovation throughout history. From Renaissance chisels to modern algorithms, from clay to marble and Murano glass, sculpture has always been a space of experimentation where matter and vision intersect.
A Dialogue of Artists and Artworks
The exhibition gathers an impressive group of artists and artworks, creating a dialogue across time and technology. On one side stand three works attributed to Michelangelo, on the other the innovative creations of Cuban artist Helena Bacardi, who is exhibiting in Italy for the first time.
Bacardi’s sculptures, produced with artificial intelligence software and realized at Tor Art laboratories in Carrara and Capas Esculturas in Madrid, represent the latest stage in the evolution of form. Among them is Semantics, carved in red and pink marble, which merges strength and fragility in an anthropomorphic abstraction. She also presents a new version of her family’s iconic Bacardi bat, recreated in Murano glass as a tribute to Venice.
From the hand to the robot: in Venice, Bacardi Semantics, red and pink marble
Michelangelo’s works on display remind us of the origins of Western sculptural tradition:
- Male Torso (c. 1540), a terracotta sketch for the “Prisoners” of Julius II’s tomb.
- Study for a Seated Figure with Ecclesiastical Headgear (c. 1524–25), a pen and ink drawing, possibly of a pope.
- Study of Three Nudes for a Transfiguration, created with brown ink and black chalk.
Together, they reveal how Michelangelo saw tools not as simple instruments but as means to liberate form from matter — an approach that resonates even in today’s algorithmic processes.
From the hand to the robot: in Venezia, Bacardi Semantics, Michelangelo (attributed), Male Torso 1540 ca.
From the hand to the robot: in Venice, Michelangelo, Study of a Seated Figure with Ecclesiastical Headgear (Possibly a Pope), 1524-1525
The “Exhibition Within the Exhibition”:
Pietrasanta’s Models
One of the most fascinating sections is the set of 17 three-dimensional models from the Museo dei Bozzetti in Pietrasanta. These models offer a rare insight into the working life of sculptors, highlighting the importance of the bozzetto — a preparatory model that captures the artist’s first vision and the artisan’s technical expertise.
The artworks on loan include pieces by internationally renowned artists such as:
- Woman with Umbrella by Fernando Botero, blending European and Latin American cultures with irony and fantasy.
- Fist, a powerful yet light self-portrait by Bezzina.
- Concordia by Giuliano Vangi, marked by harmonious lines.
- Orizzonte by Igor Mitoraj, with its fragmented and corroded head.
- Piazza by Dani Karavan, a space turned into sculptural memory.
- An untitled work by Costantino Nivola.
- Sferosfaldato 2 by Capotondi.
- Deposited Sun by Giò Pomodoro, rich with dynamic energy.
- Tensei Tenmoku by Kan Yasuda.
- Light by Antonio Signorini, a recent work exploring the connection between body and spirit.
From the hand to the robot: in Venice, Fernando Botero, Woman with an umbrella
Other models include pieces by Lipchitz, Messina, Penalba, Fonseca, Gilardi, Papa, and Tagliolini, along with a bust of a Cuban poet and commercial book molds from the historic Gipsoteca of Ugo and Dario Luisi.
According to Chiara Celli, scientific director of the Museo dei Bozzetti:
“The selected models for Venice offer a view of international sculpture from the 20th century to the present. They testify to the deep, centuries-old relationships between Pietrasanta’s artisan workshops and artists and institutions from all over the world.”
Pietrasanta and the Global Language of Sculpture
The Museo dei Bozzetti itself represents a unique cultural institution. Born in 1984 in a climate of creativity and exchange, it now holds over 1,000 models that tell the story of sculptural practice — from idea to material, from artisan technique to final location. It is a living, inclusive museum, constantly engaged in research, international projects, and collaborations.
In recent years, it has participated in exhibitions such as Uffizi Diffusi in Pietrasanta (2022), at the European Parliament in Brussels (2023), Design Weekend in Courmayeur (2024), and soon MAP25 in Palafrugell, Spain (2025). The collaboration with Venice further strengthens its mission to show the behind-the-scenes of sculpture as a process rather than a finished object.
Venice as a Stage for Innovation
By juxtaposing Renaissance masters like Michelangelo with contemporary artists such as Helena Bacardi, and by combining historical models with AI-driven creations, “The Idea of Sculpture. From the Hand to the Robot” demonstrates that sculpture is not a static tradition but a living, evolving language.
Set in Venice, a city where art and architecture constantly meet, the exhibition becomes a reflection on the future of creativity. From chisels to algorithms, from clay to glass and marble, from the hand to the robot — sculpture continues to reinvent itself, offering new ways for artists and audiences to engage with the world.
Practical Information
- Exhibition: The Idea of Sculpture. From the Hand to the Robot
- Where: Palazzo Bollani, Venice
- When: August 30 – November 19, 2025
- Curators: Roberta Semeraro and Giovanna Cicutto
- In collaboration with: Museo dei Bozzetti di Pietrasanta
- Supported by: City of Venice, City of Pietrasanta, Region of Tuscany
Conclusion
This groundbreaking exhibition in Venice is more than a display of artworks; it is a journey through time, technology, and imagination. It reveals how artists, from Michelangelo to Helena Bacardi, have always sought new ways to transform ideas into matter.
In a world where artificial intelligence is shaping the future, this exhibition reminds us that sculpture — in all its forms — continues to be one of the most powerful expressions of human creativity.
