Today the Punta della Dogana is owned by the art collector François Pinault, who has converted it into a Contemporary Art Centre, today exhibiting Damien Hirst’s latest works.
However, until the 18th century, Punta della Dogana was once the Customs area where foreign merchandise ships coming in to the city had to pay their excise duty. Even the shape of this triangular strip of land resembles the prow of a ship, which separates the Grand Canal from the Giudecca Canal.
Especially noteworthy is the Golden Ball on the tip of the building. The ball represents Earth which rests on the shoulders of two Atlas figures. On top of Earth stands the figure of Fortune, which rotates to indicate the wind’s direction, and of course the randomness of fortune itself. It rapresentes a perfect fusion of beauty and function, melancholy and irony: the essence of Venice.
