Let Wild Run Free, the solo exhibit by Swiss-Californian artist Allison Zurfluh, opening on Mazzorbo island on 19 March 2022, interprets the environment, inhabitants and local life of the Northern Venice Lagoon.
The works on display relate to the conservation and sustainability of the Lagoon, and to the artist’s relationship with this vast marshland, a fascinating ecosystem all to often overlooked by visitors who come to explore Venice and its outlying islands. 
Allison Zurfluh
Conserving the local culture
Through her work –the exhibit includes oil paintings and watercolours as well as works with salt and natural fibre paper - Allison champions the protection of one of the world’s most beguiling wetlands, encouraging appreciation for ancestral fishing methods, local culture, and a sustainable lifestyle.
"We have forgotten the quiet freedom of untamed space. Every land has its pockets of wild, let us leave them there for the birds and for the person who wants to nurture a deep need for connection to the earth,” she says. “I am honoured to present this exhibit at Venissa, whose commitment to both cultural and ecological sustainability continues to inspire.”Still time by Allison Zurfluh
The exhibit is on the Venissa wine estate
Let Wild Run Free will run through the summer in the striking spaces of the Osteria Contemporanea of Venissa, on Mazzorbo Island.
“We are bound with Allison by friendship and our shared love of the lagoon which is a unique ecosystem. Her work shines with passion for this territory, a passion that always united us and that makes us happy to host her at Venissa,” says Matteo Bisol, owner of Venissa.
Mazzorbo is Burano’s neighbouring island
The peaceful little island of Mazzorbo, in one of the most untouched parts of the Venetian lagoon, is a short walk across a wooden bridge from Burano, which is famous for its brightly-coloured fishermen’s houses. Burano is one of the most popular daytrips from Venice and is linked to the city with regular vaporetto waterbus services.
A resort with a Michelin restaurant
The Venissa estate is a project of agricultural rejuvenation and sustainable hospitality in a walled vineyard which is the backdrop for the five rooms of the Wine Resort, the Osteria Contemporanea and the Michelin-Starred Restaurant Venissa. Here the ingredients of native Venice – seafood, herbs, and vegetables – become gastronomic experiences of cucina ambientale combining taste of place and environmental practices.
