VENICE, ITALY.-Spazio Giudecca 795 presents "Cows on Gondola" by Nicolò Paoli, and "Plastic Sneers" by Maurizio Baccanti, on view 19 January - 24 February 2008. Cows on gondolas and canals in flower: this is the magical and funny Venice portrayed by Nicolò Paoli, a twenty-seven-year-old painter and photographer, son of the famous singer Gino Paoli. "Paoli's Herd" (20 acrylics on canvas) is going ashore on Giudecca on 19 January and will be adorning the walls of the Giudecca 795 gallery in Fondamenta S. Biagio (near the Hotel Hilton Stucky). The exhibition will last until 24 February.

Giudecca 795 is betting on a brand new Venetian cow-mania, thanks to the unique atmosphere of Carnival, which will be taking place at the same time. In Paoli's canvas, the cow roams Venice totally disoriented while facing an apparently peaceful lion...quite distrustfully! This cult character represents a silent source of inspiration for the young artist, who is very keen on "ruminating", and it does evoke an unconventional and witty sense of humour.

In addition, the gallery will be welcoming a special guest: the Plastic Sneers. They are masks created by Maurizio Baccanti using rubbish found on Venetian beaches and the Adriatic coast. After cleaning up his collected trash, he transforms it into something intriguing, unique. The entire exhibition is centred on the issue of ecology. This is why it will be open for school visits by request.