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Title image: JEFF KOONS. Hulk Elvis Serie (Rock), 2004-2013 polychromed bronze and marble. ©Jeff Koons, Courtesy of the artist and AMA Collection Installation view by Sebastiano Pellion di Persano. 

In Venice, a city eternally intertwined with art, architecture, and water, a new contemporary art destination has recently opened its doors. AMA VENEZIA (www.AMA.art), founded by collector Laurent Asscher, is not just another private foundation. It is an attempt to bridge the intimate world of collecting with the broader, public-facing sphere of contemporary art.

Asscher’s trajectory as a collector is shaped by personal story. He grew up surrounded by art. “My parents were not addicted to art,” he recalls. “They were definitely collectors, but they were buying maybe one painting every three or four years. I always loved art. I always looked at art.” His household displayed a range of works, from Old Master French paintings by Renoir and Pissarro to American artists like John Mitchell.

Yet Asscher’s own collecting did not begin in earnest until 2012. The catalyst was a purchase that would define his future collection: Jean-Michel Basquiat’s Irony of a Negro Policeman (1981). “I sold one of my companies, got some cash, and I bought my first painting, which was a Basquiat. This is how the collection started,” he explains. That first acquisition, he says, was less about financial strategy than emotional engagement.

“It gives me so much emotion and pleasure that, with time, I’m sure it will create financial value. But the first value is not financial. It is really to show and share and be able to present those artists on the scene… to have more space. It’s quite important in the end.”

From that initial purchase, Asscher’s collection has expanded into a major repository of contemporary art, spanning American and European artists from the 1960s to today. Names such as Cy Twombly, Brice Marden, David Hammons, Salman Toor, Laura Owens, and Jenny Saville populate the roster, alongside emerging voices and digitally engaged artists.

The genesis of AMA VENEZIA was pragmatic yet visionary. Initially, Asscher hosted portions of the collection in his Venetian apartment during the Venice Biennale. “When you have too many paintings in storage, even if you rotate them, it’s never enough,” he says. “The next stage is to open a place to the public, like a foundation.” Today, private foundations are increasingly common, and Venice, with its concentrated art ecosystem, has become a natural hub. “Foundations were usually made after people died, but now collectors make them when they’re alive. More and more private foundations are opening in Venice because it’s the center for art,” Asscher observes.

The foundation occupies a former soap factory, a choice guided as much by function as by aesthetics. Venice’s historic palazzi, while architecturally stunning, are often unsuited for large-scale contemporary work. “Palazzo is a very vertical structure, thus it’s not easy with logistics when you have large paintings,” Asscher explains. “Then you have what I call working buildings, or warehouses. I wanted a building like that…something more industrial. You have 14-meter heights in some places, which is fantastic for big installations.”

The building has been carefully retrofitted to accommodate the unique challenges of Venice. “We created a cube so that, even if water rises two meters, we’re completely protected”.

For Asscher, the foundation is about more than logistics—it is about creating space for engagement, dialogue, and shared experience.

“Being a collector is an emotional adventure,” he says. “You start buying paintings and cannot stop. But beyond that, it’s about showing and sharing, giving the artists a stage, and having a space where their work can live and breathe.”

This philosophy extends to the foundation’s digital presence. Choosing AMA.art as the web identity was intentional. “It was obvious. Being an art place, I did not think for two minutes about it. AMA.art is very short, very easy, and for people working around art, it’s perfect,” he notes.

AMA VENEZIA’s program promises to reflect this ethos. The foundation will showcase selections from Asscher’s collection, present commissioned projects designed for the space, and eventually host curated exhibitions that resonate with its artistic vision.

Walking through the vast, industrial galleries, one senses the careful calibration between space and artwork. Large-scale canvases, immersive installations, and sculptures coexist in volumes that encourage contemplation, without the constraints often imposed by historic interiors. Asscher sees this flexibility as central to the foundation’s mission. “You can work with really big installations. We can put a lot of plots, and we can create a rich response to the work,” he explains. For Asscher, the foundation is not a capstone to collecting but a living project, one that prioritizes sharing and community. “More we will attract people who are in love with art,” he says, “and that’s the most important thing.”

With its combination of historical context, cutting-edge facilities, and a founder deeply committed to sharing his passion, AMA VENEZIA is a space where art is shared not just to be admired, but to be experienced.