Berggruen Arts & Culture Opens New Hub in Venice's Cannaregio District

Philanthropist Nicolas Berggruen (born 1961, Paris) has established Berggruen Arts & Culture in Venice, acquiring both the Casa dei Tre Oci on Giudecca Island and Palazzo Diedo near Strada Nova. The 18th-century Palazzo Diedo, designed by Andrea Tirali for the Diedo family, later became a municipal property in 1888, then a primary school, and from 1993 to 2012 served as the surveillance court. After a major restoration led by architect Silvio Fassi, the palace will officially open in 2024 under the artistic direction of Mario Codognato, who also heads the Anish Kapoor Foundation. The venue will host exhibitions, symposia, installations, and an artist residency program initiated by Sterling Ruby (born 1972, Bitburg). Ruby has already installed a sculpture on the facade, titled "HEX" (2022), and will complete "A Project in Four Acts" by 2024, culminating in a show. Berggruen, founder of the Berggruen Institute, aims to foster artistic production in Venice, a city struggling with overtourism and a decline in craftsmanship. The residency program will accommodate one to five artists at a time, with future participants yet to be announced. The project is part of a growing cultural district in Cannaregio, near the Fondazione Kapoor at Palazzo Manfrin.