Abstract Art and Venice – How Travel Shapes My Original Paintings
Venice is not a destination for me – it is a state of mind.
The lagoon city gives me back something that sometimes gets lost in the studio: wonder. The light over the canals in the early morning, the silence behind the tourist crowds, the way water and architecture touch each other – all of this settles inside me and finds its way into my work later. Those who know my original paintings will find Venice in them – even without knowing it.
What Venice Does to Me
I recommend nobody visit Venice with a plan. The city works differently – it opens up when you stop searching. The narrow streets, the light breaking on the water, the proportions of the architecture – all of this works inside me long after I am back in the studio.
As an abstract artist, Venice is not a motif I depict. It is an energy I translate. Into colour compositions, textures, fields of tension – which then flow into layered abstract acrylic paintings. Each of these works carries something of that energy, without naming it.
Venice's Art Scene – What Really Shapes Me
On my last visit I spent time at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection Venice and the Gallerie dell'Accademia Venice. Two completely different experiences – and both important. The Guggenheim shows how abstract art occupies and transforms spaces. The Accademia is a reminder of what painting has meant across centuries.
Venice is also home to the Venice Biennale – the most significant exhibition of contemporary art in the world. This energy is palpable in the city, even between the major exhibition years. It affirms what I do.
Azure – A Work Finds Its Place
During one of my stays I lived at the Art & Park Hotel Union Lido – a place that takes art seriously and gives it space.
I present the hotel my work "Azure". Not because it was a strategic move, but because I felt this work belonged here. The manager understood immediately – and accepted.
The photograph taken in that moment – me, the manager, and "Azure" between us – is one of the most meaningful images of my work as an artist. It shows what an original painting can do: it connects people, permanently defines spaces, and tells a story that goes beyond the purchase.
[Photo: Sabine Runge with the manager of Art & Park Hotel Union Lido and the original painting "Azure"] © Photo: unionlido.com
Venice and Back
I will return. Not only because of the city – but because of what it triggers in me. Places with history and culture work differently in me than the studio does. They disrupt my routine in a productive way.
When I start painting after a visit to Venice, I notice the difference. The layers change. The colours shift. Something that began in the city finds its form in the studio.