Venice has always been a masterpiece — but some masterpieces are still being painted. In a city where every wall tells a story, a new voice has emerged among the marble and mosaics: Endless, the British artist redefining contemporary street art. His latest work, a striking graffito near the historic Ristorante Al Colombo by the Rialto Bridge, brings modern rebellion into harmony with centuries-old tradition — proving that Venice’s creative soul is as alive as ever.
Part fine artist, part cultural provocateur, Endless is a figure who blurs the line between gallery and street, pop culture and faith, luxury and subversion. His new presence in Venice represents not only a personal artistic milestone but also a symbol of how the city itself continues to evolve — a living museum that dares to breathe.
🧭 Endless: The Artist Without Limits
Born and based in London, Endless began his career painting the streets of the British capital, fusing fine-art discipline with the raw energy of graffiti. A graduate of the Cambridge School of Art, he soon distinguished himself for his ability to combine social commentary with aesthetic precision. His name — “Endless” — reflects his conviction that creativity and human expression have no boundaries.
His work explores the cult of celebrity, the power of branding, and the sacred aura of consumerism. Using stencil, typography, and layered imagery, Endless juxtaposes icons of faith with icons of fashion — the Chanel logo transformed into the word “CHAPEL,” a recurring motif in his art. Through it, he questions what modern society worships and why. Is today’s cathedral found in a shopping mall? Is the new religion built around fame and luxury?
These themes have carried him from the streets to some of the world’s most respected institutions. In 2021, he became the first street artist to have his work exhibited at the Uffizi Galleries in Florence, with a self-portrait alongside the legendary duo Gilbert & George. A year later, he represented the Republic of San Marino at the 59th Venice Biennale. His collaborations span from fashion houses like Karl Lagerfeld Paris to cultural icons such as the late Vivienne Westwood — each project reinforcing his role as the bridge between rebellion and refinement.
As his official biography states, “Endless’s work invites the viewer to question modern life through a pop-cultural lens, finding spirituality within consumer culture and beauty within contradiction.” And nowhere could that contradiction find a more poetic stage than Venice.
🎭 The Graffito by Ristorante Al Colombo: Modern Iconography on Ancient Walls
Nestled near the Rialto Bridge, Ristorante Al Colombo is one of Venice’s most storied dining institutions — a place where gondoliers, artists, and locals have gathered for generations. Its courtyard and façade whisper of centuries of conviviality, of candlelight reflected in glasses of wine, of the hum of conversations carried by lagoon breezes. It’s a setting where history feels tangible — and where the unexpected suddenly appeared.
In early 2024, the façade near Al Colombo became the site of Endless’s newest Venetian intervention: a graffito that merges pop imagery with the mystique of the Serenissima. The work’s composition — a fusion of classical balance and street-art edge — speaks to the artist’s fascination with Venice as a symbol of beauty suspended between time and tide.
At first glance, it’s arresting: black-and-white stencils layered with bold color fields, the familiar “CHAPEL” motif emerging like a whispered prayer for a new era. Look closer, and the details reveal references to Venetian trade, gilded halos, and Renaissance symmetry — all filtered through Endless’s urban sensibility. The effect is hypnotic: part fresco, part rebellion, wholly Venetian.
To encounter it after dinner at Al Colombo — perhaps over a glass of Amarone — is to witness a dialogue between centuries. The stone walls that once echoed the footsteps of merchants now carry the language of modern art. The city’s past and present, coexisting in pigment and spirit.
🌆 Venice and Street Art: From Forbidden Canvas to Cultural Dialogue
Venice has never been a city of graffiti — its heritage too precious, its façades too delicate. But times are changing. A growing number of artists are reinterpreting the lagoon’s textures and colors through contemporary expression, finding new ways to honor its history without defacing it. From Banksy’s haunting refugee child on the Dorsoduro waterfront to curated exhibitions at the Avani Rio Novo Venice Hotel, where Endless himself presented A Journey Through Contemporary Iconography, street art is gaining recognition as a legitimate form of Venetian storytelling.
The conversation is growing louder. Walk through Cannaregio or Giudecca today, and you might find stencil poetry under bridges or small murals tucked behind workshops. These aren’t defiant acts but quiet tributes — expressions of a city learning to balance preservation with progression.
🖌️ Art, Faith, and Fashion: The Themes That Bind
Endless’s work resonates so deeply in Venice because it mirrors the city’s own contradictions. Both are places where sacred and secular intertwine. Venice once traded in gold, silk, and incense; today, it trades in symbols, images, and ideas. Endless’s art, with its iconography of worship and consumerism, feels like a modern echo of that legacy.
In his CHAPEL series, halos hover above models’ faces; in others, luxury logos become relics. The imagery feels strangely familiar amid Venice’s domes and altars. His new graffito near Al Colombo fits seamlessly into this continuum — not as provocation, but as reflection. It invites viewers to ask: what do we revere today? And can beauty still be revolutionary?
🏛️ Al Colombo: Where History Meets Art
Al Colombo itself is an institution of Venetian heritage. Just steps from the Rialto Bridge, it has welcomed guests for over a century, serving dishes rooted in lagoon tradition — risotto al nero di seppia, fegato alla veneziana, and delicate scampi alla busara. Its courtyard is a sanctuary of local elegance, a meeting place for artists, journalists, and travelers drawn by its timeless charm.
That Endless would choose this setting for his newest piece feels serendipitous. Like his art, the restaurant embodies authenticity that evolves with time. To dine at Al Colombo and then step outside to find modern art on its neighboring wall is to witness Venice’s essence distilled: tradition and innovation sharing the same breath.
🌿 Venice, Reimagined for the 21st Century
What makes this moment significant is not only the presence of one artist, but what it represents for the city itself. Venice is embracing a new narrative — one that includes contemporary voices alongside its ancient masters. From installations at Punta della Dogana to murals in hidden calli, a fresh energy is redefining what Venetian art can be.
Tour Leader Venice is proud to celebrate this evolution. Our Off-the-Beaten-Path Tour invites guests to experience this living dialogue first-hand: to see where street art meets stonework, where artisans meet innovators, where yesterday and tomorrow coexist. Because Venice isn’t frozen in time — it’s alive, breathing, and endlessly inspiring.
As Endless himself once said, “Art is everywhere if you know how to look for it.” In Venice, that statement feels literal. Every bridge, every corner, every reflection holds a story waiting to be discovered.
💬 The Future of Street Art in Venice
Venice’s embrace of artists like Endless signals a broader shift in cultural perception. Institutions are starting to see street art not as defacement, but as dialogue. Pop-up exhibitions, Biennale collaborations, and even luxury hotels are inviting urban creatives to reinterpret Venetian spaces through a modern lens. The result? A renaissance — quieter than the 15th century, but just as profound.
At the heart of this transformation is a shared belief: that authenticity isn’t about preserving the past unchanged, but allowing it to inspire the present. Street art, like Venice itself, thrives on duality — permanence and decay, elegance and grit, heaven and earth.
🎨 Experience the Venice of Today
For discerning travelers, discovering Endless’s graffito by Al Colombo offers more than a photo opportunity — it’s an invitation to explore a side of Venice that most never see. It’s the perfect complement to our Venetian Rowing Experience or a private visit to Murano Glass Studios, offering a complete portrait of a city that honors craft in every form — whether with glass, fabric, or spray paint.
Our expert guides know where to find these modern marks of creativity — the subtle stencils near San Polo, the hidden murals in Giudecca, the fusion of fashion and art in boutique galleries. With Tour Leader Venice, you’ll uncover the city’s evolving identity — from Titian to T-shirt art, from palazzo ceilings to alleyway graffiti.
✨ Plan Your Artistic Journey
- Explore Venice Off the Beaten Path
- Mosaic Art Experience
- Tessitura Bevilacqua Visit
- Bespoke Eyewear Atelier
- Cicchetti & Wine Tour
Ready to see Venice through a new lens? Join Tour Leader Venice for an art-infused exploration that blends classic beauty with modern creativity — and don’t forget to stop by Ristorante Al Colombo near the Rialto Bridge, where tradition still meets transformation on the very same wall.
Follow the Story
Discover more about Venice’s evolving art scene on the Tour Leader Venice Blog — from artisan workshops to avant-garde exhibitions — and see how the world’s most timeless city continues to reinvent itself, one brushstroke (or spray can) at a time.
Because in Venice, even the graffiti has grace — and the future of art is written on its walls.
Who is Endless, the artist behind the new Venice graffito?
Endless is a London-based contemporary street artist known for blending fine art, pop culture, and social commentary. He’s exhibited at the Uffizi Galleries in Florence and represented San Marino at the Venice Biennale. His signature “CHAPEL” motif explores the overlap between faith and fashion — themes that resonate deeply with Venice’s dual identity of beauty and devotion.
Where can I see Endless’s artwork in Venice?
His latest graffito can be found near Ristorante Al Colombo, just steps from the Rialto Bridge. The piece merges modern iconography with Venetian tradition, symbolizing how the city continues to evolve artistically. To discover similar creative expressions, join our Explore Venice Off the Beaten Path Tour — a journey through hidden neighborhoods where contemporary art meets ancient stone.
Is street art allowed in Venice?
While Venice strictly protects its historical façades, curated street art projects and exhibitions — like those involving Endless or Banksy — are increasingly welcomed as cultural dialogues. Many appear in authorized spaces or as part of art events. To explore this balance between preservation and innovation, combine your visit with our Mosaic Art Experience or Tessitura Bevilacqua Visit to witness Venice’s artistry past and present.
