AMA Collection (AMA Venezia): A New Private Collection in Venice / 2026 Venice Biennale

A private art space established by Belgian collector Laurent Asscher. Venice is already home to world-class collections. If the Peggy Guggenheim Collection showcases the history of 20th-century modernism, the Pinault Collection reveals the power structure of the global art market. AMA Venezia, which opened in 2025, feels like the 'gaze of an international collector in the 2020s.' Paintings by hot artists like Kim Sang-woo and Joseph Jaeger are displayed at the entrance, and the highlight is a continuous performance by Tino Seghal in a dark, darkroom-like space; being alone, I watched with a sense of humility. The name AMA is derived from the initials of his three children, Andrea, Matteo, and Alessandro, and simultaneously evokes the Italian word 'amare' (to love). This space, spanning approximately 1,000 square meters, was created by renovating a 16th-century building that was formerly a soap factory! 00:00 Start Kim Sang Woo 00:17 Joseph Yaeger 03:28 Laura Owens 07:53 Tino Sehgal 09:07 Jenny Saville 12:55 Ed Ruscha 13:44 There are also works by Rudolf Stingel, Charles Ray, Richard Serra, and others. ___ Larry's Bar is one of the most interesting spaces. It is not just a simple café or lounge; it is a space created by Laurent Asher to pay tribute to his longtime friend, Larry Gagosian, while establishing the AMA (there is even a portrait of Gagosian painted by Elizabeth Peyton). I would never have named a bar after a single gallerist, no matter how close I was to them. To name it Gagosian makes me wonder just how close they must be, and also thinks, "Gagosian has so many friends, doesn't he?" However, seeing a photo in the space of Gagosian, Charles Saatchi, and Leo Castelli relaxing together after swimming, it seems Larry's Bar was created not just out of friendship, but as a symbol of contemporary art. #VeniceTravel #VeniceBiennale