Marc Quinn: Historynow

Marc Quinn presents Historynow at the National Archaeological Museum of Venice. On this occasion he presents a new chapter in his ten-year project “History Paintings“.  The exhibition features forty-eight new paintings and an accompanying “Stele” sculpture are presented in dialogue with the museum’s collection of classical antiquities, inviting reflections on past and present society.

Quinn’s works, which begin their life as iPhone screenshots, are a reflection on contemporary devices which allows us to absorb, consume and share news. Quinn conceives these devices as digital portals through which humans are witnessing cultural events that change the world: accidents, human tragedies and natural disasters, along with moments of pop cultural lightness in an incessant flow of content.

Historynow reproduces a scrolling journey through digital feeds, the content of which fluctuates between news of celebrities and current affairs, of global reach. Revealed in a space usually reserved for reflections on the past, links are discovered between the Historynow series and the classic sculptures of the museum, offering reflections on the ways and the speed with which news and stories have been communicated through history. In this exhibition Quinn returns to the themes explored throughout his career, asking questions about the great social themes and the human condition.