Invisible Line (collective)

Julie Mehretu’s giant canvases with their highly complex brushstrokes, superimpose architectural renderings, geometric shapes and a multitude of symbols in pencil, pen and ink. The artist defines her work as “story maps of no location”, representations of imagined realities inspired by contemporary urban planning, where space is constricting and speed is accelerating.

Invisible Line (Collective), commissioned by the Pinault Collection in 2010, was conceived for the Punta della Dogana, the Venice landmark built in the 17th century and restored in the 21st century. The work, bursting with references to the Italian city, echoes, like a palimpsest, the temporal and architectural layers of the place. From this jumble emerges a reflection on constantly shifting towns and the accumulation of their historical markers, constantly updated.

Part of the Pinault Collection, Invisible Line (Collective) by Julie Mehretu was first shown at the "Eloge du Doute" (“In Praise of Doubt”) exhibition at the Punta della Dogana (2011-2013).