This monumental painting was commissioned for a show at Punta della Dogana, an exhibition space housed in the former customs building of Venice; a place that perhaps exemplifies the way architecture evolves as its function changes to comply with the social system it is supposed to serve. Echoing the dynamics of this palimpsest of sorts, Mehretu has elaborated a series of paintings, of which Invisible Line is one; also on view in this exhibition is Aether (2011), a work created to be exhibited alongside it.
New York buildings appear in the background, referring to this city as a place of prominence for international trade, as was Venice at the time when the customs building was erected. Also informing the composition is the historical context of the “Arab Spring” – a series of strong social movements that started to destabilize a political order in the Middle East based on strong authoritarian regimes.
Invisible Line, 2010-11. Ink and acrylic/canvas, 347 x 758 cm
