Ronald Ventura: Luna

On the occasion of the 61st International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia, Filipino artist Ronald Ventura—one of Southeast Asia’s leading voices—presents “Ronald Ventura: Luna,” a large-scale exhibition featuring more than a dozen newly realised works. Curated by Ruel Caasi and promoted by MUSE Science Museum Trento and Castel Belasi – Contemporary Art Center for Eco Thought, the exhibition unfolds as a Collateral Event of the Biennale Arte 2026, “In Minor Keys,” conceived by the late Koyo Kouoh. It stages a dialogue between Venice and Malabon, two water-shaped communities connected by tides, trade, memory and ecological vulnerability.

Set at Docks Cantieri Cucchini, “Ronald Ventura: Luna” reflects on cross-cultural sedimentation and its socio-ecological implications. The project extends Ventura’s exploration of everyday cultural life in the Philippines, bringing Malabon into conversation with Venice. Water—both sustaining and destructive—acts as the bridge between the two contexts, while the lunar cycle frames a reflection on shifting tides and global resonance.

The exhibition brings together painting, sculpture and installation, including oil paintings, charcoal drawings, resin works, Murano glass sculptures and video installations. An immersive environment emerges, where layered histories and fractured identities are shaped through a dialogue of visual languages. Photorealism meets Renaissance references, while cartoon imagery intersects with classical textual fragments, forming a contemporary visual pastiche.

At its core, “Luna” reflects on interconnectedness—from Venice as a historical crossroads of exchange to Malabon as a fragile microcosm of climate vulnerability. The work addresses the growing disconnection between society and natural rhythms, using the moon as a guiding motif across geographies and narratives.

Realised in collaboration with MUSE and Castel Belasi, the project extends into a public programme, including a masterclass linked to “We Are the Flood,” addressing climate crisis and ecological transition. The Collateral Event is accompanied by a publication with essays, documentation and a conversation with the artist.