A visual poem exploring the relationship between painting, water, and gesture.

Filmed across the Grand Canal of Venice, the work emerges from a performance by Mexican artist Esteban Fuentes de María @arteenmexico and unfolds through the humidifying of a linen canvas with water from the Venetian lagoon to generate a watercolor effect while painting.

The film traces themes of inspiration and offering, connecting the city and the artwork through water. Encounters, landscapes, and moments become an offering to the inspiration Venice has given the artist.

Shot on gondola during a journey across the Venetian lagoon.
The film follows the artist’s performative act of painting, allowing the final image to surface naturally.

Hélène de Cartier @helene_de_cartier is a filmmaker and photographer based in Brussels. Her practice explores female sensitivity through poetic observation and hybrid storytelling.

A film by Hélène de Cartier @helene_de_cartier 
Additional credits: Esteban Fuentes de Maria @arteenmexico and Tristan Tancredi @tristantancredi
Shot on: Sony FX3
Voice-over: Maria Callas – Norma, Act 1: “Casta diva”