The Venice Biennale is one of the most prestigious international contemporary art exhibitions in the world. In addition to the pavilions in the historic Giardini and those housed in the old warehouses of the Arsenale and other venues in the city centre, numerous independent events that enrich the cultural offering of the Venetian lagoon come to life each year. The island of San Servolo on the occasion of the 53rd Art Biennale hosted a collective of Chinese artists in an exhibition entitled ‘A Gift to Marco Polo’, whose staging was carried out by the Th&Ma studio in support of the curators Lu Peng of the MoCA (Museum of Contemporary Art of Shanghai) and Achille Bonito Oliva. The artists’ works, arranged in the labyrinthine rooms of the San Servolo architectural complex, created a surprising, atypical pathway among the existing buildings. In order not to damage or alter the finishes of the rooms, suitable supports and lighting for the works of art were designed for each, in perfect synergy with the MoCA technical staff. Particular care was requested by the Venetian Superintendence for the installation of a neon sign on the outside wall of the island in the lagoonn facing St Mark’s Basin: ‘TOBUY IS TOCREATE, the exhibition’s provocative slogan.