Régis Looten «The New Plague Doctors » Concept:  In November 2018, not having returned for thirty years, the artist returned to explore Venice.  The Plague Doctors are key figures in the « Old Lady’s” history despite being relegated to a minor role in the beastly scene of the carnival. Nonetheless, these Plague Doctors bear new messages which must be spread amongst current society which is contaminated by various modern-day plagues.  They are of a social, humanitarian, environmental, sanitary, political, and economical nature… this list endless. Their mission is also to protect Venice from the hordes of visitors who destroy it day after day whilst declaring their love to the city.  It is this paradox that inspired the Plague Doctors’ edict to save humanity because by saving Venice, we will start saving the world. The new Plague Doctors come with simple and humanitarian values.  Important speeches and major actions are not required to reach this goal, truth is a powerful enough cure. Since 2018, Looten narrates through his naïve yet expressive and humoristic sketches, the simple and real life of these new Plague Doctors whom Aristotle poetically described as “doing what they are able to do with what language they possess to say not what is but what could be”.