Tide: Melissa McGill transforms Corte Nova (Venice) with painted sheets

Tide: Melissa McGill's participatory installation at Corte Nova (Venice)

When: 30 April – 10 May 2026
Where: Corte Nova, Castello district, Venice (Sotoportego and Corte Nova) — coordinates: 45.4369871, 12.3460024
Access: open-air courtyard, free entry

"Tide" is a site-specific installation that turns Corte Nova's courtyard into an urban stage of collective memories. Artist Melissa McGill works with fabrics—chiefly hand-painted sheets—that act as narrative panels containing local stories, photographs and performative elements. The project originates from community listening: interviews, memories and locally sourced materials are integrated into the artwork and its documentation.

Concept and technique

The project explores the relationship between local identity, tourism pressure and environmental change. McGill uses water taken from the lagoon to dye the fabrics, leaving physical traces on the linen and establishing a material connection with Venice's aquatic environment.

How to experience the work

• Walk through the courtyard to read the collected stories and observe the combination of photography, performance and installation.
• Visitors are encouraged to contribute personal testimonies: collected materials will feed into a book and a film documenting the creative process.
• Please respect the residential character of the area and avoid crowding.

Why visit

"Tide" demonstrates how public art can make local memories and social tensions visible, turning everyday materials into a collective narrative about identity, water and change. The installation encourages a critical reading of the neighbourhood beyond its tourist image, highlighting residents' daily lives and lagoon-related issues.