From 4 to 21 February 2023, the Venice Carnival will liven up the streets, squares, and alleys of the city with an edition entitled "Take your Time for the Original Signs". 

For about twenty days, Venice will become an open-air theatre and an ideal scattered setting where every language and artistic form are allowed and where the symbols of earth, water, fire and air shift from their origins to originality, to become a unique and imperfect sign, an expression of the unique and unrepeatable self.

The Arsenal is once again the protagonist of an extraordinary and exciting show on the water with the show “Original Signs” involving imaginative sights, lights, techniques and perception, offering 30 minutes of pure magic. A parade of strong visual and artistic impact, a mythical place where artists from the most diverse disciplines can reveal their signs to us.

In Piazza San Marco in Venice and Piazza Ferretto in Mestre, two twin theatres will be set up to welcome all the masks entered in the now traditional contest for the ‘Most beautiful mask’. The photos of the masks will be published and voted online, selecting a winner at the end of each day and then the overall winner at the end of the event. In addition to the 360° photo shoot setting, the stages will also alternate music, events, artists, speakers and spellcasters.