56th Venice Biennale
The Third Partner​
In 2015, Beatriz Gerenstein made her debut at the 56th Venice Biennale, participating in Personal Structures, the official collateral exhibition organized by the Global Art Affairs Foundation at Palazzo Mora, Venice, Italy. This milestone marked the beginning of Gerenstein's long-standing relationship with the Venice Biennale and introduced her monumental sculpture The Third Partner, installed in the palace's main garden. Throughout the exhibition, the work attracted significant public attention, inviting visitors to reflect on human connection, cooperation, and the invisible forces that strengthen our relationships.
The Third Partner, Stainless Steel, 2015. 10.2 x 10.8 x 2 feet (310 x 210 x 60 cm)
Beatriz Gerenstein's participation in the 56th Venice Biennale represented a defining milestone in her international career. Selected to exhibit in Personal Structures, one of the Biennale's most recognized official collateral exhibitions, the artist joined an international group of contemporary artists whose work explored the relationship between space, time, and the human condition.
For this occasion, Gerenstein presented The Third Partner, a monumental mirror-polished stainless steel sculpture installed in the central garden of Palazzo Mora, a sixteenth-century Venetian palace that has become one of the principal venues of the European Cultural Centre during the Biennale. Positioned in an open public space, the sculpture immediately engaged visitors through its elegant reflective surfaces and dynamic composition.
The Third Partner explores one of the central ideas that runs throughout Gerenstein's artistic practice: that every meaningful relationship is strengthened by an invisible third element. Beyond the two individuals involved, there exists an intangible force—whether understood as trust, empathy, spirituality, shared values, or mutual commitment—that enables human relationships to grow and endure. Through three flowing abstract forms united in a single composition, the sculpture becomes a visual metaphor for cooperation, harmony, and emotional connection.
The installation quickly became one of the most photographed and visited sculptures in the garden, attracting viewers from around the world. Its mirror-polished stainless steel continuously reflected the changing Venetian light, the surrounding architecture, and the people moving around it, transforming the audience into an active part of the artwork. This interaction reinforced Gerenstein's belief that sculpture is not merely an object to observe, but an experience that evolves through the participation of those who encounter it.
This first participation in the Venice Biennale marked the beginning of an enduring relationship with the European Cultural Centre and Venice itself. In the years that followed, Gerenstein returned repeatedly with new projects presented during subsequent Venice Biennales, establishing a continuous international dialogue through sculpture and reinforcing her commitment to creating works that celebrate connection, coexistence, and our shared humanity.