Matriclysm: An Archeology of Connections Lost

Visual artist and multi-platinum singer-songwriter Jewel brings her multidisciplinary art practice to Venice with an immersive exhibition of painting, sculpture, installation, tapestry, and sound works created especially for this project.

Curated by Joe Thompson and presented in association with Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art @crystalbridgesmuseum , the exhibition explores themes of motherhood, feminine power, and the consequences of its loss.

The exhibition will feature never-before-seen painting, sculpture, tapestry, installation, and sound works that Jewel has created specifically for this exhibition, the largest presentation of this multi-faceted artist to date.

“At first glance, this exhibition centers on issues of femininity, power, and ecological consciousness, but at its core it is about memory, both profoundly personal and alarmingly global,” comments Jewel. “If something of a cautionary tale, my hope is that the show reminds us what it feels like to be in closer harmony, inviting us to unearth ways to reconnect us to ourselves, each other, and the world around us.”

Visitors encounter luminous glass constellations, surreal paintings, myth-inspired textiles, and immersive soundscapes composed by the artist. Data-driven works such as “Heart of the Ocean”transform real-time environmental information into music and light, developed in collaboration with scientists from NASA, Stanford University, and University of California, Berkeley.

A central work in the exhibition, “First Mother”, is a monumental sculpture created in collaboration with Patrick Bongoy @patrickbongoy , exploring the idea of a shared human origin and the generative power of motherhood.

Photos by Matthew Takes