During the celebration of the Venice Carnival 2026, one striking scene captured the attention of photographers and tourists alike: Gianluigi Merisio portrayed as a dead man, lying inside an open coffin as he moved through the historic streets of the city.

The image reveals a polished wooden casket with golden fittings, set upon a structure draped in red fabric. Inside, Merisio is dressed in a gray suit, light-colored shirt, and a small crucifix hanging from his neck. In his hands, he holds a red rosary and a matching rose, reinforcing the funeral symbolism. His expression is calm, almost contemplative, as he engages with onlookers.

Standing before him, a woman in an elaborate black-and-white costume — featuring artistic makeup with theatrical and slightly gothic undertones — holds a stylized white mask. The visual contrast between life, art, and death is striking. The architectural backdrop, with its ornate marble walls and classical reliefs, situates the scene in the monumental heart of Venice.

The concept does not appear to seek macabre shock value, but rather symbolic reflection. The open coffin, the rosary, and the rose function as narrative elements aligned with the phrase Merisio has repeated to the press and curious spectators: “The dead man, the value of life.”

In a festival renowned for its baroque masks, 18th-century costumes, and exuberant theatricality, this performance introduces a reflective dimension. Traditionally associated with anonymity and celebration before Lent, the Carnival here becomes the stage for a visual metaphor about human fragility and the awareness of time.

The scene blends spectacle, tradition, and aesthetic provocation, reaffirming the Venice Carnival as a space where disguise not only conceals identities, but can also reveal profound ideas.