Building Bridges
Building Bridges
Shaking Hands in Venice
Building bridges by Lorenzo Quinn
A bridge you cannot walk across. A bridge shaped by arms and hands, carrying a powerful message. Each hand and arm supports in a different way. These are the “Building Bridges” sculptures by Lorenzo Quinn.
My Rating:
The Positives:
A unique bridge with a message. And you can see it for free.
The Negatives:
Unfortunately, it's a bit far away! Unless you're at the Biennale in the Arsenale, you're not likely to just stumble across it.
Last Modified: 20.04.2026 | Céline
Building Bridges
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Bout the
Building Bridges
Created for the 58th Venice Biennale (2019), the sculpture “Building Bridges” was installed in the Arsenale area.
Six pairs of arms, each 15 metres high, meet in a handshake. There are 12 distinct hands, and each pair carries its own meaning. The sculpture symbolises human values: wisdom, help, faith, hope, friendship, and love. These arm-bridges are intended to overcome barriers, calling for unity in times of crisis. Perhaps it was prophetic, as only a few months later, the Covid pandemic broke out. In other words, the sculpture is still very, very young.
Let’s take a closer look at the pairs:
There are old arms, young arms, and even a child’s arm. From young to old, barriers can be overcome – even torn down.
Each handshake or touch is different, corresponding to the six values.
Help is perhaps the clearest – the familiar gesture of helping someone up from the ground. Love is represented by the most tightly entwined hands, while hope (Faith) resides in the child’s hand. Friendship begins everything, so it is the first pair, and wisdom is the last pair, marking the end.
Materials and dimensions:
Expanded polystyrene with polyurethane coating
Overall sculpture: 1120 × 2589 × 5654 cm
Wisdom: 996 × 1977 × 572 cm
Hope: 1024 × 1982 × 357 cm
Love: 1120 × 2324 × 478 cm
Help: 909 × 2589 × 484 cm
Faith: 914 × 1893 × 415 cm
Friendship: 1147 × 2036 × 440 cm
This is neither the first nor the only sculpture that Lorenzo Quinn has created in and for Venice.
A little “Support”
In 2017, a sculpture called “Support” was installed on the Grand Canal, projecting from the waters at the façade of Hotel Ca’ Sagredo. Two enormous children’s arms, each 9 metres high, appeared to hold up the building. The work was intended to draw attention to climate change and the rising water levels that threaten Venice.
However, the sculpture was later removed at the request of the heritage authorities. They had only approved a temporary installation, concerned about the historic façade. The sculpture was sent to Barcelona for restoration. Its current location remains there, and whether it will ever be installed again is uncertain. Livorno has expressed interest.
Since 2022: Baby 3.0
In July 2022, Lorenzo Quinn returned to Venice with Baby 3.0, installed on the Grand Canal in the garden beside Palazzo Ca’ Corner.
The baby, still lying in its mother’s womb, represents the rebirth of humanity after Covid. Quinn explicitly invites visitors to touch the sculpture, making us part of the artwork and encouraging us to carry forward its message of positive change. “Re-birth of Humanity” evokes deep emotion, prompting reflections on our own birth, the birth of our children, and the purpose of life itself.
Quinn says:
“I wish that, if my art does anything, it provokes actions of kindness which will give hope to the world.”
Extra: Since 2018, Forte Marghera in Venice has also received a Quinn sculpture: “Stop Playing” – two enormous hands stretching a slingshot. But it’s no ordinary stone in the sling – it is the globe, symbolising the world.
Who is
Lorenzo Quinn?
Lorenzo Quinn (b. 1966) is a contemporary artist with a truly international background. Born in Rome, Italy, as the son of the Mexican-American actor Anthony Quinn, he grew up in the United States and now lives in Barcelona – a choice we can warmly recommend!
Quinn began his career following in his father’s footsteps, as an actor. Those familiar with the 1991 film about Salvador Dalí may have seen him in the role of the eccentric artist. In fact, he won the Best New Actor award at the Biarritz Film Festival for this performance.
In the early 2000s, however, Quinn decided to leave acting behind to devote himself entirely to art.
His public artworks include “Encounters” in Palma de Mallorca (2003) and several pieces at King Edward’s Wharf in Birmingham – including “Creation”, “Volare”, and “Crossing a Millennium” – all marked by his signature focus on the hand, the human form, and the circle.
Quinn is internationally renowned. His “Forces of Nature” series, for example, has been exhibited in England, Italy, the United States, Singapore, the Netherlands, Qatar, and Monaco.
Text and image rights for “Building Bridges”: © Céline Mülich, 2023–2026
Image rights for “Baby 3.0” and “Stop Playing”: Official Lorenzo Quinn website: lorenzoquinn.com/sculptures/
Image rights for “Support”: Press article from the website www.lifegate.com/venice-lorenzo-quinn-support
Image rights for Quinn as Dali – film poster: Website www.filmaffinity.com/es/film249145.html
