Xhixha has created four installations for the exhibition:
- Iceberg, a monumental sculpture measuring 118 x 157 x 118 inches;
3D rendering of Helidon Xhixha's "Iceberg"
- Schegge, an installation of 18 vertical, rectangular columns which mimic the submerged part of an iceberg as it is shaped by currents of water (157 x 59 x 79 inches);
3D rendering of Helidon Xhixha's "Schegge"
- Pillars of Light, seven pillars representing the glaciers from which the iceberg has detached, occupying a total space of approximately 173 x 118 x 110 inches;
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Helidon Xhixha's "Pillars of Light"
- and Four Elements, a separate installation of four rectangular sculptures in mirror-polished stainless steel, each approximately 79 x 39 inches, which represent the four natural elements (fire, water, air and earth) from which the entire universe is formed. Made from stainless steel, their reflective surfaces provide the mirror of truth that Xhixha wants us to accept: that we, as humans, remain totally dependent upon the existence of these four natural elements, and thus, have a responsibility to protect them.
Helidon Xhixha's "Four Elements"
Xhixha’s project aims to support a new point of view on unavoidable environmental problems. Venice is a precious artistic jewel, one of our world’s irreplaceable treasures, that is significantly at risk of being lost in our lifetime. The danger of rising sea levels genuinely puts Venice in peril. A popular travel destination, Venice is also continually being violated by tons of steel cruisers. Among the canals and islands of Venice, therefore, Xhixha has imagined and created, with steel, seven cold, metallic pillars with irregular tops, which look as though they have been snapped, standing far on the horizon on the Island of San Servolo, and a monumental sculpture, Iceberg, composed of undulating waves with broken, fragmented planes, chaotic elevations and indentations that look as though they could have been caused by natural phenomena. The Iceberg will float among the canals, following the movement of the currents and wind, allowing for a continuous variety of luminous projections on its surface. Viewers can imagine this floating metal block as an actual small iceberg that has detached itself from a glacier and, floating astray, arrived in the Venetian lagoon. Together Pillars of Light and Iceberg address the fundamental problem of global warming and the melting of polar glaciers.
3D rendering of Helidon Xhixha's "Iceberg"
The fact that a monumental steel sculpture has been made to float and move in contrast to its heavy weight and usual static nature also invites viewers to reflect on the most experimental practices of sculptural expression. Xhixha is widely known around the world for his public and monumental artworks made of stainless steel and crafted using innovative techniques. Pillars of Light and Iceberg represent the latest progressions of his sculptural research. Iceberg will be placed in the Venetian lagoon on May 7. On the morning of May 8 the sculpture will depart from the ferry dock Scomenzera, Dorsoduro, and begin its journey toward Piazza San Marco. An official presentation of the project, with opening speeches by the Syrian Arab Republic Pavilion curators, Duccio Trombadori and Willy Montini; Dr. Diego Giolitti; and Helidon Xhixha will take place at 11 a.m.
Helidon Xhixha's "Iceberg" will travel from the island of San Servolo to Piazza San Marco.
Once it completes its journey, Iceberg will be installed on San Servolo Island and will be exhibited, along with the other four installations, for the duration of the Venice Biennale, May 9 through November 22.
