Ocean Space's 'Tide of Returns' Exhibition Reimagines Repatriation as Ceremonial Process

Key facts

• Exhibition 'Tide of Returns' at Ocean Space in Venice redefines repatriation as a complex, ongoing process of repair.
• Curated by Khadija von Zinnenburg Carroll and conceived by the Repatriates Collective, a group of artists from Australia's Pacific North, South and West Africa, Europe, and Latin America.
• Installed in the former Church of San Lorenzo, a venue historically shaped by trade, empire, and Mediterranean circulation.
• Features the Repatriates Collective's 'From My Mother's Country,' an immersive installation with thousands of handmade Namibian dolls as knowledge vessels.
• Includes Verena Melgarejo Weinandt's 'Weaving Connections,' with textiles and video exploring braiding and washing as relational acts.
• Markus Reymann notes the church's history creates a confrontation with displacement forces relevant to Venice's archives.
• Accompanied by a discursive program including the event 'Between Tides: Gatherings on Return' on May 8, 2026.
• Event features a conversation between Carroll and Weinandt moderated by ArtReview editor-in-chief Mark Rappolt, part of a symposium on repatriation as ceremonial practice.