Dayanita Singh to Open Venice State Archive as Exhibition Space for 2026 Biennale

The State Archive of Venice will open to the public as an exhibition venue for the first time during the 2026 Venice Biennale, hosting Indian photographer Dayanita Singh's project 'ARCHIVIO'. The free-entry show runs from April 16 to July 31, 2026, curated by Andrea Anastasio. Singh's work explores archives as living organisms, combining her images of Italian cities since the late 1990s with studies of institutional archives. The exhibition will travel to the National Etruscan Museum of Villa Giulia in Rome, the MAO-Museum of Oriental Art in Turin, and the Italian Institute of Culture in New Delhi. A public program of talks and book presentations is organized with Ca' Foscari University and IUAV University of Venice, where Singh will also mentor students. The graphic design is by Studio Sonnoli. The archive, housed in a 13th-century complex adjacent to the Frari church, was established in 1815 under Jacopo Chiodo to consolidate Venetian documents.