An Exclusive Look Inside Laurent Asscher’s New Art Foundation in Venice

Yet despite being one of the world’s most prestigious collectors, Asscher has remained discreet about his works and long sealed off his collection from public view—except for the lucky few he invited over for cocktails during the Venice Biennale, where he keeps a residence in the 15th-century Palazzo Molin del Cuoridoro. “There’s no point in keeping your collection only for yourself,” he realized. “It’s important to share your collection, either through your place or museum loans.” That epiphany compelled him to establish AMA Venezia, a soon-to-launch foundation and exhibition space that follows in the footsteps of La Serenissima’s abundance of foundations such as Fondazione Prada, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, and Punta della Dogana (Pinault Collection).

“Venice is becoming a hub for art and cultural foundations of all kinds,” Asscher says. “It provides the ideal environment for AMA Venezia to thrive and contribute to the city’s artistic landscape.” The inaugural exhibition, which opens to the public on April 9, will showcase highlights by artists such as Refik Anadol, David Hammons, Elizabeth Peyton, Jacqueline Humphries, Wade Guyton, Florian Krewer, Jeff Koons, Brice Marden, and more.

Many works have never previously been shown and don’t shy away from provocation. An animatronic robot by Jordan Wolfson, for example, flits around to pop music and makes eye contact with visitors. Others, like a pensive canvas by Pakistani-American painter Salman Toor, depict mundane moments of queer lives in diasporic situations. They span traditional gestural painting to more mechanical work by the likes of Avery Singer, who utilizes Google Sketch-Up to render grisaille imagery on canvas. He describes the assortment as “an evolution” of how American artists have approached making work—and exploring new creative tools—over the past decade.

AMA Venezia recently set up shop inside a cavernous former soap factory located a quick jaunt from the Scuola Grande della Misericordia in Cannaregio. Asscher entrusted longtime collaborator Alberto Torsello of TA Torsello Architettura with the transformation, or lack thereof—he minimized interventions within the 16th-century structure to maintain the spirit of its industrial origins.

“We tried to keep everything original and not touch what we didn’t need to,” Asscher says. “All the walls are 500 years old, and you can feel it.” After perusing the art, visitors can stop by an on-site bar anchored by a monumental 20-foot-long table made by Parisian interior designer Chahan Minassian. Comprising multiple sections in blown, striped, tool, and mirrored glass from Murano masters, the one-of-a-kind piece gels beautifully with a gilded works by Rudolf Stingel and Brice Marden nearby. 

Though the inaugural show highlights artists from Asscher’s collection, he plans to hand the mic over to the public and understand what they want to see. “One thing I’d really like to do is give the opportunity to unknown artists to show in Venice, perhaps through a contest,” he says. But those sort of freewheeling experiments are still far off. For now, he has no agenda besides sharing his resounding love for collecting. “Success will be reflected in the smiles of our visitors, the enjoyment of artists, and the recognition of AMA as a space for extraordinary art,” he says. Perhaps it’s embedded in the foundation’s DNA—“ama” is the Italian word for love.