Nick Cave “Amalgame” “A-mal-gam” Corderia dell'Arsenal, Venice Biennale 2026

Nick Cave’s work blends suffering and beauty, hence the title he has given to these two sculptures.

Nick Cave, Amalgam, A-mal-gam, Corderia dell'Arsenal, Venice Biennale 2026

Nick Cave Bronze, a cold and sombre metal, allows him to amplify the sense of pain.

The first sculpture depicts a man lying on his back, his arms outstretched, flowers in his hand, as if he were dead and these flowers were the kind placed on graves.

Another figure covers him, as if showering him with tears, expressing intense grief, in a position that conveys a desire to die as well.

Nick Cave His clothes are covered in leaves and flowers, as is the large cone he places on the dead man’s body.

The bodies will disappear beneath the earth, covered in vegetation.

The second sculpture shows a seated man whose body is covered in leaves and flowers.

From the top of his torso, at shoulder level, withered branches emerge, devoid of leaves, on which birds perch.

A figure serving as a trunk for the tree’s branches, which have taken the place of the head and the mind.

Nick Cave