Vatican Pavilion at Venice Biennale Hosted in Women's Prison
The Holy See's Pavilion will make its debut at the 2024 Venice Biennale, located in the historic Giudecca Women's Prison in Venice. Pope Francis is scheduled to visit on April 28. Curated by Chiara Parisi and Bruno Racine, the exhibit, called 'With My Eyes,' features eight artists, including Maurizio Cattelan, Bintou Dembélé, and Zoe Saldana. Inmates, wearing uniforms they made, will lead tours and have created poems for Fattal’s lava plaques. Cattelan's large feet installation and Claire Fontaine's neon piece 'Siamo con voi nella notte' both convey messages of solidarity. Gomes’s sculptures hang in the chapel, and Perego and Saldana produced a short film with inmate actors. Reservations are needed for visits, focusing on human rights and inclusion.
Key facts
- Vatican Pavilion is inside Giudecca Women's Prison in Venice
- Pope Francis will visit on April 28, a first for a pope
- Curated by Chiara Parisi and Bruno Racine
- Eight artists: Cattelan, Dembélé, Fattal, Claire Fontaine, Gomes, Kent, Perego & Saldana, Tabouret
- Inmates serve as guides and contributed poems to Fattal's work
- Cattelan's piece features oversized feet on chapel facade
- Claire Fontaine's neon work 'Siamo con voi nella notte'
- Perego and Saldana made a short film with inmates as actors
Entities
Artists
- Maurizio Cattelan
- Bintou Dembélé
- Simone Fattal
- Claire Fontaine
- Sonia Gomes
- Corita Kent
- Marco Perego
- Zoe Saldana
- Claire Tabouret
- Reza Aramesh
- Giulia Bianco
Institutions
- Holy See
- Giudecca Women's Prison
- Venice Biennale
- Artribune
- 24Ore Business School
- Università degli Studi di Catania
- Vatican
- Dicastery for Culture
- Centre Pompidou-Metz
- Bibliothèque nationale de France
- L'Osservatore Romano
- L'Osservatore di Strada
- Casa di detenzione femminile della Giudecca
Locations
- Venice
- Italy
- Giudecca
- Vatican City
- Venice Biennale