Intuition

What is intuition and how does it work? What role does intuition play in an artist’s creative process? Described in various circumstances as a subconscious activity, a gut feeling, a sixth sense, or a hunch – intuition is a mysterious process that gives us the ability to know something without proof or evidence. It guides us to act in a certain way without knowing exactly why or how. It’s a bridge between the conscious and unconscious mind, between instinct and reason, between perception, logic, and the leap from a question to its answer.
Intuition has consistently provoked vast fields of research. Everyone from philosophers, physicists, artists, actors, mathematicians, neuroscientists, musicians, to many others, have tried to offer their understanding of its mysterious processes. A challenging and complex topic, intuition has fascinated and perplexed some of humanity’s greatest minds for centuries.
Held at the Palazzo Fortuny in Venice, the exhibition Intuition brings together historic, modern, and contemporary artworks related to dreams, meditation, telepathy, creative power, and inspiration. Spanning diverse geographies and cultures, it explores how intuition has shaped our collective understanding of art for generations and provokes questions about the origins of creation, which is constantly evolving. Therefore, this ambitious project is necessarily to be seen as a work in progress, with leading contemporary artists creating a dialogue with historic works staged within the unique character of Mariano Fortuny’s former home.
In addition to being an important document of the exhibition, this book features detailed photographs, comprehensive annotations, and new writing from the curators and their team. Ranging from philosophical conversations to esoteric essays and art historical analyses, this book expands on the theme to add interesting angles and depth to gain new insights into the multi-layered world of intuition.