Quis contra nos

Quis contra nos – part of the solo show Velme, curated by Beatrice Merz at Cà Rezzonico Museo del Settecento Veneziano in Venice – whose coat of arms features the phrase “Si Deus pro nobis” (If God is for us). The expression is historically used to place oneself on the side of the righteous, even if guilty of major atrocities, as in the case of the Nazis, who had the phrase “Gott mit uns” (God with us) engraved on their army belt buckles. Originally taken from St. Paul’s “Letter to the Romans” (8:31), the phrase in its original form continues with “Quis contra nos?” (Who can be against us?). The writing on the mirror, placed at eye level, features the part of the motto omitted in the coat of arms, Quis contra nos, without the question mark, restoring substance to the concept of superiority inherent in the accumulation of wealth and power that, like a ghost, materializes on our reflected image.