For The Golden Door, Gaia Vincensini presents a new video and a series of wall sculptures, developed especially for the exhibition at Fondazione Sant’Elia in Palermo.

The video work (with a soundtrack composed by sound artist Tobias Koch), also titled The Golden Door, follows vaguely the literary tradition of the Gothic novel in its narrative style and tells us the story of the young Swiss banker Piero who must meet a mysterious client in Rome. Piero’s character is inspired by the melancholic clown archetype of Commedia dell’Arte. The film follows him on his surreal journey in a city of magnificent palazzi and grotesque masks.

Through this bizarre story, Gaia Vincensini delves into the concept of value, particularly regarding gold and its role in capitalist system, exploring themes like alchemy, wealth, and the power dynamics of the Catholic Church in the 15th century. The presence of artificial gold objects – both as props in the film as well as sculptures in the exhibitions space – highlights the constructed nature of value: a critical view on Switzerland’s banking history, luxury watches, and the commodification of time, while offering a female gaze on a patriarchal world.

The Golden Door often blurs the lines between reality and imagination, encouraging viewers to question their perceptions of the world around them, frequently incorporating elements of surrealism, symbolism, and abstraction to create a sense of wonder and curiosity.

Curated by Gioia Dal Molin.

Download the curatorial text here. 

Fondazione Sant’Elia
Via Maqueda 81, Palermo
Free entrance

Opening hours:
Tuesday-Sunday: H09:00-19:00

For press inquires, please contact press@istitutosvizzero.it.

With the support of République et canton de Genève, Fonds cantonal d’art contemporain.