João Vilhena: Predizione Perdizione

Memories and fragments, anonymous and timeless, inspire the works in Predizione Perdizione, a solo exhibition by Portuguese artist João Vilhena, on view at our Venetian gallery from 20 September to 22 November 2025.
Playing with words, images, and techniques, Vilhena explores historical memory and contemporary concerns in a dialogue between past and present, in which the hubris of humankind is shown to be ever recurring.
Through newly created works, the artist invites us to look beyond the surface, to uncover hidden layers, and to reflect on the human condition: among ruins and vital impulses emerges the return of the darkest moments in history.

Gifted with exceptional technique and sharp wit, João Vilhena creates visual universes in which the observer’s gaze plays a central role in giving meaning to the artwork itself. His drawings function as perceptual spaces where interpretation is nuanced, misread, or deferred. Positioned between the known and the unknown, Vilhena’s works confront the viewer with a continual shifting of meanings and forms. By combining real and imaginary elements, his large-format drawings—executed in black graphite on grey cardboard—invite us to question our understanding of the visible world.

The exhibition will be accompanied by a text by art critic and curator Tristan Trémeau.