Today, in order to understand the world of contemporary art, it is necessary to detach ourselves from the idea that only galleries, museums and foundations are the only entities that promote artistic production and the organisation of exhibitions. The complexity of our present imposes a deeper and more challenging reflection, one that takes us to places where the general public is not used to finding works of art, performances or temporary exhibitions.

If we do not want to fall victim to anachronistic and superficial reasoning, it is necessary to be curious and no longer limit ourselves to visiting the sacred temples of knowledge, but also to go to more peripheral, real (and therefore more stimulating) places, without the fear of coming across works of art of inferior quality to those traditionally recognised. Thanks to the intelligence and courage of visionary entrepreneurs and art directors, we now witness hybridisation processes between different contexts that generate projects and collaborations capable of redefining the boundaries of creativity and artistic expression. These interdisciplinary combinations open the door to a new era of artistic expression, in which art is no longer just an inspiration, but becomes an integral part of the narrative of our contemporaneity.

This is what happened just over a month ago, near Venice. Golden Goose, the world-famous brand renowned for its iconic star-studded shoes, decided to entrust contemporary artists with the inauguration of its new creative hub: HAUS of Dreamers.

"Back to our roots, back to our DNA" reads the caption of a Reel on the brand's official Instagram account. "Start again from your roots": it is necessary to go back to those places where it all began, Venice, or rather Marghera, the industrial area of the Serenissima. It is there that, among factories, workshops and ships under construction, Golden Goose was founded 24 years ago by Alessandro Gallo and Francesca Rinaldo. Today, in those same spaces, "the house of dreamers" is also born, a hub dedicated to creativity, research, experimentation and & 'contagion'. Hybridizing different worlds and overcoming the interdisciplinary boundaries of apparently opposing fields are the titles of the ideal manifesto that this company wants to show the world.

But why entrust contemporary artists with the launch of this project?

During the opening days of the Art Biennale 2024, Golden Goose called in artists from different fields to celebrate its HAUS of Dreamers. This space embodies Golden's core values - craftsmanship, culture and art - and this is also evident from the architectural conformation of the place. Inside, we find an Academy, a Manovia (named after the machine used in the footwear industry), an Archive, a Library, a Playground (the auditorium) and a Hangar (the exhibition area), outlining a global cultural platform to stimulate creativity and provide a new home for the brand's community, dubbed "Dreamers".

To celebrate the opening of HAUS, Golden Goose brought together four multifaceted artists from different disciplines. Argentinian visual artist Andrés Reisinger redesigned the original structure of the brand's first headquarters with its ever-present pink drapes, evoking the curtains separating the stalls and wings of a theatre. A sort of invitation to unveil the mystery behind the history of this brand. During the opening, outside, Italian sculptor Fabio Viale transformed marble columns into typical Venetian briccole (the wooden poles used in Venice to indicate navigable routes and canals). These sculptures were then set on fire in front of the public, so as to reflect on the fragility and risks to the city of Venice. Inside, in the Academy, those who wished could participate in the live-performance of the French-Italian painter Maïa Régis, who was engaged in the creation of large coloured canvases using the silk-screen printing technique. Through this practice, the artist highlighted the contrast with the 'mass-produced' works typical of industrial areas, emphasising the uniqueness of each handmade piece. Finally, in the Auditorium, guests experienced a unique moment with the young singer Mia Lailani. Her performance was amplified by experimental beats and hypnotic visuals, filling HAUS with sounds, stories and dreams.

This is not the first time that this brand has decided to collaborate with contemporary artists; it had done so in the past, creating innovative projects. Golden Goose's entrepreneurial vision seems to aim at considering influences from the art world as vital injections for their business innovation. And if to do so is a brand that closed 2023 with net revenues of €587 million, up +18% on the previous year (data from Il Sole 24 Ore), perhaps one can trust it.

Collaborations of this kind cannot and should not be considered mere marketing operations, but real cultural projects that aim to explore new frontiers of creative expression.