THE DELIGHT OF THE ENCHANTED VENICE BALL
Il Ballo del Doge, a prestigious artistic event created by Antonia Sautter, affirms itself as a pivotal event in the culture and glamor of the lagoon capital
During Carnival in Venice, common sense is thrown out the window. Thus, the ephemeral, the fatuous, the impalpable combined with the the fairy atmosphere of the lagoon, invoke magic and possibility that leave their mark during these particular days of the year. A unique place like Venice can only be the privileged city, the most suitable spot, to host this beautiful, overwhelming, seductive and unforgettable masquerade ball. Antonia Sautter is well aware of this. With her company, Antonia Sautter Creations & Events, she has elevated the fleetingness of life into an event unparalleled in the world. She gives life to of one the most anticipated world event of the year, the Doge’s Ball. An artistic event that surprises in every way. Now in its
twenty-sixth edition, the event affirms itself as a project that is in constant and continual evolution. “The ball is the result of feverish no bounds research that remains faithful to the principles that inspired it: disguising oneself in order to fully feel and explore with the five senses, unleashing one’s own instinct” explains the creator and organizer of the kermesse.
The latest edition transformed three floors of Palazzo Pisani Moretta to embody the 2019 theme: “The Magnificent Ephemeral in Praise of Dream, Folly and Sin”. It was a hymn to the ephemeral intended as pure expression of enchantment and pleasure, descending into a dream of madness and of sin. Il Sogno (the dream) occupied the second floor of
Guests and celebrities from all over the world, wearing hand-made costumes from the atelier of Antonia Sautter, arrive at the Palace by water and enter directly into a fantasy world.
the historic Venetian building, an atmosphere suspended between fairytale and poetry, with the undisputed triumph of the dreamlike and the imaginary. The hidden and forbidden desires found their space on the first floor, distorting common sense and customs, while on the ground floor sin ensued, in a libertine and carefree atmosphere of ecumenical transgression, which unified instead of separated. Music, sumptuous sets and princely costumes are the ingredients that Antonia Sautter has been able to mix, like a good alchemist, resulting in an exciting challenge to fleeting time. A challenge to which men and women are called to participate in without fear, because to grasp only a moment of the sublime is well worth the effort. Antonia is the creator and Grand Marshal of the ball. Every year her visionary imagination gives her guests (international jet setters such as, Vivienne Westwood, Joaquin Cortes, Zucchero Fornaciari, Alberta Ferretti, Antonio Banderas, Bebe Vio) a real waking dream that will stay with them forever. Being able to wear the magnificent tailor-made dresses that either follow historical style philologically, or reinterpret the eighteenth-century in an original, inspired and allegorical way, make this exclusive gala experience even more unique and unreproducible. The event captures both the recreational and cultural aspects of the Venetian Carnival further enhancing all the festivities. Sautter’s vision comprises incredible masks and sumptuous costumes designed and created by her, and is complemented by performances by renowned world artists, in a roving all-encompassing work of art. Sautter is an entrepreneur, a stylist and costume designer with an extraordinary talent. She has dedicated her heart and soul to renewing the identity and tradition of the most authentic Venetian party. Her work earned her recognition as Knight of the Republic and was awarded the Order of Merit among other important honors like the Laurea Honoris Causa in Management of Events in Paris, Venetian of the Year and Premio Internazionale Profilo Donna 2018. Not surprisingly, Antonia Sautter and her staff, in addition to taking care of the production of the costumes, shoes and accessories, works year round organizing a varied range of events, the Ballo del Doge representing the crown jewel. Every year, in the lagoon, an arcane and powerful spell is repeated. Life celebrates itself with great pomp, celebrating, through the exaltation of its finiteness, that echo of eternity watched over by the ephemeral.
A particular and evocative place like Venice can only be the privileged city, the most suitable spot, to host this beautiful, ephemeral, overwhelming, seductive and unforgettable masquerade ball.