Forte Marghera's Casermetta Est Opens as Contemporary Art Space in Mestre

The Casermetta Est, one of two Napoleonic barracks at Forte Marghera in Mestre, has been restored and transformed into a cultural space for contemporary art and emerging talent. The €4.7 million renovation, directed by architect Riccardo Cianchetti, was carried out by Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia. The inaugural exhibition, "Granda," curated by Antonio Grulli, features 27 artists from the Atelier 2024–2025 program of Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia and Fondazione Bevilacqua La Masa, and runs until March 1, 2026. The space will also host annual exhibitions for the Artefici del Nostro Tempo competition, an international call for young artists promoted by the Comune di Venezia. Forte Marghera, originally built by Austrian troops in 1805 and expanded under Napoleon until 1814, became a strategic logistics hub during World War I. Since 2010, it has been owned by the Comune di Venezia, and in 2015 the Fondazione Forte Marghera was established to manage the site. Today, it houses the Museo Storico Militare, a library on fortifications, and exhibitions by the Venetian Civic Museums and the Biennale Arte. The Casermetta Est restoration is the latest phase in a broader redevelopment program covering over 2,500 square meters of historic buildings for cultural and exhibition activities.