ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Holy See Pavilion at Venice Biennale 2026 Centers Listening and Contemplation

exhibition · 2026-04-14

At the 61st Venice Biennale, the Holy See Pavilion, named “The Ear is the Eye of the Soul,” provided a reflective journey across two locations: the Giardino Mistico dei Carmelitani Scalzi in Cannaregio and the Complesso di Santa Maria Ausiliatrice in Castello. Curated by Hans Ulrich Obrist and Ben Vickers in collaboration with Soundwalk Collective, the pavilion drew from the works of Saint Hildegard of Bingen. In the garden, attendees donned headphones to experience a sound composition featuring over twenty artists, such as Brian Eno, FKA twigs, Patti Smith, and Meredith Monk, fused into a “sonic prayer” by Soundwalk Collective. The Castello site showcased Alexander Kluge’s last project—a twelve-station film and image installation completed prior to his passing in March 2026—alongside Hildegard texts and artist books by Ilda David, with input from Benedictine nuns of Eibingen Abbey. This site also continued the “Opera Aperta” architectural initiative by Tatiana Bilbao, MAIO Architects, and DOGMA from the 2025 Architecture Biennale, aligning with curator Koyo Kouoh’s call for a more deliberate pace, prioritizing auditory engagement over visual distraction.

Key facts

  • Holy See Pavilion at 61st Venice Biennale titled 'The Ear is the Eye of the Soul'
  • Curated by Hans Ulrich Obrist and Ben Vickers with Soundwalk Collective
  • Two sites: Giardino Mistico dei Carmelitani Scalzi in Cannaregio and Complesso di Santa Maria Ausiliatrice in Castello
  • Inspired by Saint Hildegard of Bingen
  • Sonic composition at garden featured Brian Eno, FKA twigs, Patti Smith, Devonté Hynes, Meredith Monk, Caterina Barbieri, Laraaji, Otobong Nkanga, and others
  • Soundwalk Collective created instrument translating real-time garden activity into sound
  • Alexander Kluge's final work: twelve-station film and image installation, completed before his death in March 2026
  • Castello site continued 'Opera Aperta' project by Tatiana Bilbao, MAIO Architects, and DOGMA

Entities

Artists

  • Hans Ulrich Obrist
  • Ben Vickers
  • Soundwalk Collective
  • Saint Hildegard of Bingen
  • Alexander Kluge
  • Brian Eno
  • FKA twigs
  • Patti Smith
  • Devonté Hynes
  • Meredith Monk
  • Caterina Barbieri
  • Laraaji
  • Otobong Nkanga
  • Ilda David
  • Tatiana Bilbao
  • Koyo Kouoh
  • FKA Twigs
  • Precious Okoyomon
  • Jim Jarmusch
  • Kali Malone
  • Olivier Messiaen
  • Christian Jenkins
  • Cristiana Perrella
  • Pope Benedict XVI
  • St Augustine
  • St Thomas Aquinas
  • George Rouy
  • Yan Pei-Ming
  • Vivian Suter
  • Donatien Grau
  • Cristiano Grisogoni
  • Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça
  • Pope Francis
  • Pope Leo XIV
  • Hildegard of Bingen
  • Arthur Rimbaud
  • Bob Dylan
  • Lou Reed
  • Allen Ginsberg
  • Matthias Grünewald
  • Edvard Munch
  • Robert Mapplethorpe
  • Angelo Cricchi
  • Tommaso d'Aquino
  • Federico Barbarossa
  • Bernard of Clairvaux
  • Antonio Spadaro
  • Arnoldo Mosca Mondadori
  • Enzo Romano
  • Bhanu Kapil
  • Carminho
  • Holly Herndon
  • Ilda David'
  • Kazu Makino
  • Mat Dryhurst
  • Moor Mother
  • Raúl Zurita
  • Sister Maura Zátonyi
  • Suzanne Ciani
  • Terry Riley
  • Ildegarda di Bingen
  • Maura Zátonyi
  • Donald Trump
  • Pope Leo
  • Dev Hynes
  • Devonté (Dev) Hynes
  • José Tolentino de Mendonça
  • Sister Maura Zátonyi OSB

Institutions

  • Holy See Pavilion
  • La Biennale di Venezia
  • Giardino Mistico dei Carmelitani Scalzi
  • Complesso di Santa Maria Ausiliatrice
  • Soundwalk Collective
  • MAIO Architects
  • DOGMA
  • Eibingen Abbey
  • Whitewall
  • Vatican City
  • Holy See
  • Venice Biennale
  • Serpentine Gallery
  • The Art Newspaper
  • Discalced Carmelite
  • Santa Maria Ausiliatrice Complex
  • Dicastery for Culture and Education of the Holy See
  • Roman Curia
  • Conciliazione 5
  • Vatican
  • Musée du Louvre
  • Culture and Education dicastery
  • Vatican library
  • Vatican Pavilion
  • Santa Sede
  • Biennale di Venezia
  • Biennale Arte di Venezia
  • Commonweal
  • Artribune
  • Marsilio
  • Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation
  • Palazzo Reale Milano
  • Academy of Saint Hildegard
  • Benedictine Nuns of Eibingen Abbey
  • Tatiana Bilbao Estudio
  • Hildegard Academy
  • Eibingen nuns
  • Discalced Carmelites
  • Santa Maria Ausiliatrice
  • Catholic Church
  • Venice Art Biennale
  • Benedictine Nuns of the Abbey of St. Hildegard Eibingen
  • Wallpaper*
  • ELLE DECOR
  • Pavilion of the Holy See
  • The Mystical Garden of the Discalced Carmelites
  • MAIO
  • St. Hildegard Academy
  • designboom
  • St. Hildegard of Eibingen Abbey
  • 61st International Art Exhibition
  • 19th International Architecture Exhibition
  • Benedictine nuns
  • Artlyst

Locations

  • Venice
  • Italy
  • Cannaregio
  • Castello
  • Giardino Mistico dei Carmelitani Scalzi
  • Complesso di Santa Maria Ausiliatrice
  • London
  • United Kingdom
  • Giudecca
  • Rome
  • Vatican City
  • Eibingen Abbey
  • Germany
  • Mystical Garden of the Discalced Carmelite
  • Santa Maria Ausiliatrice complex
  • Paris
  • France
  • Rio de Janeiro
  • Brazil
  • Milan
  • Secondigliano
  • Isenheim
  • Eibingen
  • Berlin
  • New York
  • United States
  • Portugal
  • Mexico
  • Brooklyn

Sources