Anish Kapoor to Open Foundation in Venice's Palazzo Manfrin

Anish Kapoor has chosen Venice as the future home of his foundation, the Anish Kapoor Foundation, which will be housed in the historic Palazzo Manfrin in Cannaregio. The artist, who already owns a home in Sant'Aponal and will have a major retrospective at the Gallerie dell'Accademia in 2022, will restore the palazzo to include a permanent collection of his most important works, temporary exhibition spaces, a ground-floor gallery, bookshop, educational areas, and an atelier, archive, and storage on upper floors. The foundation will also organize conferences and workshops for scholars and artists, and collaborate with Venetian museums, universities, and environmental organizations. The project has been approved by the Venice city council, with Mayor Luigi Brugnaro praising the restoration of the building's beauty. The renovation, designed by FWR Associati of Venice and UNA of Hamburg, will preserve the ancient decorative apparatus in the eastern wing. The palazzo, known for its Palladian double-height salon and unornamented facade, once housed a collection that foreshadowed the Gallerie dell'Accademia, but fell into disrepair for over half a century. Construction is expected to take several years.