Massimo Bartolini's Italian Pavilion at Venice Biennale Transforms Tese delle Vergini into a Sonic Garden

After initial controversy over the appointment of curator Luca Cerizza and artist Massimo Bartolini for the Italian Pavilion at the 2024 Venice Biennale, the project has been realized. Bartolini, born in Cecina in 1963, presents a sophisticated installation across three spaces at the Tese delle Vergini: the first tesa, the second tesa, and the garden. The exhibition, titled 'To Hear' (playing on the English phrase 'Due Qui'), uses sound as its central theme. In the first room, a small Bodhisattva statue sits atop a long organ pipe emitting a fixed A-flat note. The second room features a composition by musicians Caterina Barbieri (Italy, 1990) and Kali Malone (USA, 1994), also in A-flat, played by large carillons and wooden organ pipes that feed into a massive metal pipe organ filling the space. The pipes are arranged in an Italian garden pattern, with a floating fountain by Bartolini at the center, its wave mimicking a conductor's baton. The installation references Italy's seismic fragility, echoing similar works at the Museo Pecci in Prato. The third space, an outdoor garden, hosts performances, readings, and meetings until November, with a soundscape by Gavin Bayars (UK, 1943) and his son Yuri. The catalog, curated by Cerizza, will include texts from the public program by Tiziano Scarpa, Nicoletta Costa, and others. The pavilion is supported by the Italian government (€800,000), Tod's, and Banca Ifis (€400,000).