ARTLIFEfortheworld eventi d’arte contemporanea- contemporary art events Associazione Culturale / Cultural Association Cannaregio 6021 Venice, Italy 30121 Art director Simonetta Gorreri Tel/Fax: +39 041 5209723 www.artlifefortheworld.it [email protected]

Press Release

VENETIANDREAM Water Art for the Yerebatan Sarnıcı ‐ Cistern

Istanbul, 8 July 2010

Exclusive Project by ARTLIFEfortheworld, Venice, Italy For 2010 ‐ European of Culture Art director: Simonetta Gorreri

In collaboration with: Office of Cultural Production, Municipality of Venice Italian Institute of Culture, Istanbul UNESCO D.E.A. (Associated European Women)

Press Conference June 14, 2010, 12:00pm (Noon) at the UNESCO Venice Office, Palazzo Zorzi, Castello 4930, Venice, Italy

After visiting Yerebatan Sarnıcı, the Basilica Cistern of Istanbul, and its wonderful water surroundings, I was moved to plan a particularly suggestive exhibition of WATER ART in this magic historical environment. The event aims to help define the relationship between the city and the water underground and give evidence to the link between the dimensions of water and land.

A close bond between art and environment is among the priorities of our time ‐ not only locally, but throughout the entire world ‐ and the preservation and valorization of water landscapes is one of the main targets of WATER ART. This new endeavour by ARTLIFEfortheworld aims to impact visitors with the cultural and artistic originality of water installations bringing messages of Venice to the Levant. In particular one of the works has been realized by the glassblowing masters of Murano for the artist Maria Grazia Rosin.

It will be a very special event, like other events that ARTLIFEfortheworld has organized on the lagoon of Venice for the Biennale of the Visual Arts (ARTELAGUNA 1995 and APHRODITE 2009). Four works will be presented, conceived for the special environment of the Basilica Cistern:

1. The survivor Heidi Bedenknecht De Felice 2. Sweet Waves Candida Ferrari 3. Clouds and hands Cristiana Moldi Ravenna 4. Gelatine‐LUX Maria Grazia Rosin

Simonetta Gorreri, Art director, ARTLIFEfortheworld Venice, June 2, 2010