James Lee Byars: The Golden Tower
Campo San Vio, Dorsoduro
13 May – 26 November
You won’t fail to miss this totemic golden installation, rising 65-feet-tall. It was conceived by enigmatic American artist James Lee Byars, who died in 1997 and is best known for his performance pieces. Byars always wanted to exhibit the work – first realised for a 1990 Berlin show (pictured) – in a public space and finally this wish has come true with a spot on Campo San Vio, right next to the Peggy Guggenheim Collection. The Golden Tower’s iridescent surface will reflect the mosaic of the adjacent Palazzo Barbarigo. Byars’ structure is also tall enough to serve as an orientation device for those lost in Venice!
