Support — Lorenzo Quinn, Venice
Lorenzo Quinn · Sculpture, 2017 · Grand Canal at the Ca’ Sagredo Hotel · Venice, Italy
Photo: Dimitris Kamaras, 10 October 2017, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0. Artwork: Lorenzo Quinn, 2017. Full photograph shown; resized for display.
In May 2017 two giant white hands rose out of Venice’s Grand Canal and braced the wall of the Ca’ Sagredo Hotel. Lorenzo Quinn’s Support was shown during the 2017 Venice Biennale as a warning that climate change threatens the city. Finestre sull’Arte · designboom · Creative Boom · W Magazine · Axios Checked After several extensions, the heritage authority had it dismantled in spring 2018. Finestre sull’Arte · Finestre sull’Arte Reported
5 things to know
- A warning about the waterQuinn said Venice “needs the support of our generation and future ones” because it is threatened by climate change and time decay. The hands could hold the palazzo up, or push it down. designboom · Creative Boom · Finestre sull’Arte Checked
- His son’s handsBoth hands are modelled on the hands of Quinn’s son, scaled up. W Magazine · Axios Checked
- Anchored deep in the canalW Magazine reported that each hand digs past two metres of water, eight metres of mud and two metres of sand, and that high water made the installation harder than planned. W Magazine Reported
- Not in the main showAccording to W Magazine, the work was meant for the main Biennale but was not accepted, so it went up at Ca’ Sagredo, about 30 minutes from the main pavilions, with dates timed to the Biennale. W Magazine Reported
- It outstayed the BiennaleThe Biennale closed on 26 November 2017, but the hands stayed. After “alcune proroghe” (some extensions), the Soprintendenza was to start dismantling on 30 April 2018, and the hands were due to be gone by 7 May. Finestre sull’Arte · Finestre sull’Arte Reported
On the canal
Check-in guide
- 📍
- On the Grand Canal at the Ca’ Sagredo Hotel (Palazzo Morosini Sagredo), Campo Santa Sofia, Cannaregio, Venice. Finestre sull’Arte · designboom Checked Public Delivery gives the address as Campo Santa Sofia 4198/99. Public Delivery Reported
- ⚠️
- The hands were dismantled in spring 2018, and by June 2018 another Quinn work was announced for the same spot. There is nothing of Support left to see. Finestre sull’Arte · Finestre sull’Arte Reported
Sightings
- 201714 May
New work · Finestre sull’Arte
- 201713 Aug
Photo on Commons
- 201710 Oct
Photo on Commons
- 201820 Apr
Dismantling due · Finestre
- 201830 Apr
Out by 7 May · Finestre
- 201830 Jun
Spot taken · Finestre
Every stamp links to its source. The green stamps are dated photographs on Wikimedia Commons (camera dates) showing the hands in place. The amber stamps are Finestre sull’Arte’s reports of the new work and of the dismantling plan. The red stamp is Finestre sull’Arte’s report of 30 June 2018 that a new Quinn work would go where Support had been installed. The status stamp follows that report.
On the record
Why Venice
“Venice is a floating art city that has inspired cultures for centuries … But to continue to do so it needs the support of our generation and future ones.”
Lorenzo Quinn, as quoted by Creative Boom.
The message
“It evokes a powerful message which is that united we can make a stand to curb the climate change that affects us all.”
Lorenzo Quinn, as quoted by Axios.
Time to come down
“Dopo alcune proroghe, la Soprintendenza avvierà il 30 aprile i lavori di smantellamento.”
“After some extensions, the Soprintendenza will start the dismantling work on 30 April.”
The facts
- Work
- Support: two giant white hands rising from the Grand Canal to brace the Ca’ Sagredo Hotel. Finestre sull’Arte · designboom · Creative Boom · W Magazine · Axios Checked
- Artist
- Lorenzo Quinn, Italian sculptor. designboom · W Magazine · Finestre sull’Arte Checked
- Year
- 2017, made for the period of the 2017 Venice Biennale. designboom · Creative Boom · Finestre sull’Arte Checked
- Location
- Grand Canal, in front of the Ca’ Sagredo Hotel (Palazzo Morosini Sagredo), Venice. Finestre sull’Arte · designboom · W Magazine Checked
- Material
- W Magazine describes resin-coated polyurethane foam; Public Delivery says the work was made by lost-wax casting. W Magazine · Public Delivery Conflicting We lean towards W Magazine, which reported on the installation in detail at the time; Public Delivery gives no source for its claim.
- Size
- About 27 feet (8.2 m) tall, according to Axios. Axios Reported Weight: “5,500-pound” in W Magazine, “approximately 5,800 pounds” in Axios. W Magazine · Axios Conflicting We lean towards W Magazine’s figure as the earlier and more detailed report; neither says clearly whether the weight is for one hand or both.
- Promoted by
- Halcyon Gallery and the Ca’ Sagredo Hotel. Finestre sull’Arte Reported Halcyon Gallery represents the artist and the work. designboom · Creative Boom Checked
- Studio
- Made in Quinn’s studio in Barcelona, according to Public Delivery. Public Delivery Reported
- On view
- From May 2017, scheduled to close with the Biennale on 26 November 2017. Finestre sull’Arte · designboom · Axios Checked It stayed after several extensions until spring 2018. Finestre sull’Arte · Avvenire Reported
- Status
- Gone: dismantling was set to start on 30 April 2018 and finish by 7 May 2018; on 30 June 2018 a new Quinn work was announced for the spot where Support had been. Finestre sull’Arte · Finestre sull’Arte · Finestre sull’Arte Reported Public Delivery stated in August 2019: “The sculpture has been removed.” Public Delivery Checked Where the hands went afterwards is not published. Unconfirmed
- Our photo
- Dimitris Kamaras, camera date 10 October 2017, from Fondaco dei Tedeschi; CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons. Wikimedia Commons Checked
Related
- Art About the Weight We Carry (19 Photos): the Street Art Utopia post that features this work, 17 October 2026
- Support – Message About Climate Change: Street Art Utopia, 13 October 2021
All sources (12)
Photos
- Wikimedia Commons: Lorenzo Quinn’s “Support” seen from Fondaco dei Tedeschi, Venice, Dimitris Kamaras, camera date 10 October 2017, CC BY 2.0. Hero photo.
- Wikimedia Commons: CANAL GRANDE – palazzo Sagredo – Lorenzo Quinn – Support, Abxbay, camera date 13 August 2017, CC BY-SA 4.0. The hands in place.
News and magazines
- Finestre sull’Arte: “Venice, hands on Ca’ Sagredo. It is the sculpture of Lorenzo Quinn”, 14 May 2017. Opening, location, promoters, Quinn’s statement.
- Creative Boom: “Lorenzo Quinn’s monumental hands sculpture rises from the water to draw attention to climate change”, Katy Cowan, 17 May 2017. Quinn’s statement; images courtesy Halcyon Gallery.
- W Magazine: “What’s With Those Huge Hands Rising Out of the Canals at the Venice Biennale?”, Steph Eckardt, 20 May 2017. Material, weight, son’s hands, anchoring, the main-show rejection.
- designboom: “lorenzo quinn’s support sculpture braces ca’ sagredo hotel at the venice art biennale”, Danny Hudson, 14 May 2017. Display until 26 November, Halcyon Gallery, Quinn’s statement.
- Axios: “How giant hands in Venice combat climate change”, 2017. Height, weight, son’s hands, Quinn’s quote.
- Finestre sull’Arte: “Le mani su Ca’ Sagredo devono essere smantellate. Quinn: rimangano in città”, 20 April 2018, citing ANSA. Dismantling from 30 April.
- Finestre sull’Arte: “By May 7 Quinn’s hands will leave Ca’ Sagredo for good”, 30 April 2018.
- Avvenire: “Ciò che le grandi Mani di Quinn possono dire ancora a Venezia”, 2 May 2018. A reader’s letter against the removal, with the editors’ reply.
- Finestre sull’Arte: “Lorenzo Quinn returns to Venice with two new works”, 30 June 2018. A new work for the spot where Support had been.
- Public Delivery: Lorenzo Quinn’s hands in Venice, 4 August 2019. Address, studio, “The sculpture has been removed.”
Artwork File · Last checked 17 October 2026 · Certainty labels follow How We Verify Art · All Artwork Files