Vatican Pavilion Announces 24 Artists for 61st Venice Biennale, Inspired by Hildegard of Bingen
On June 24, 2026, the Dicastery for Culture and Education of the Holy See announced the 24 artists participating in the Vatican Pavilion at the 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia. Curated by Hans Ulrich Obrist and Ben Vickers in collaboration with Soundwalk Collective, the exhibition, titled "L'orecchio è l'occhio dell'anima" (The Ear is the Eye of the Soul), will be held across two venues in Venice: the Giardino Mistico in Cannaregio and the Complesso di Santa Maria Ausiliatrice in Castello. The show features new commissioned works inspired by the life and legacy of 12th-century abbess, poet, healer, and composer Saint Hildegard of Bingen, responding to curator Koyo Kouoh's Biennale theme of slowing down and tuning into a quieter register. Artists include Brian Eno, FKA Twigs, Meredith Monk, Patti Smith, Moor Mother, Otobong Nkanga, and the late Alexander Kluge, whose final work will be presented posthumously.
The Signal
The Vatican Pavilion's dual-site format and emphasis on sound and contemplation signal a deepening institutional engagement with spirituality and sensory experience in contemporary art. By commissioning site-specific sonic works from a roster that spans experimental music, poetry, and architecture, the pavilion positions itself as a counterpoint to the market-driven spectacle of the Biennale. The inclusion of Alexander Kluge's final installation, completed before his death in March 2026, adds a poignant historical weight, while the collaboration with Soundwalk Collective and the Benedictine nuns of Eibingen Abbey underscores a turn toward collaborative, process-based practices. For collectors and curators, this pavilion reinforces the growing value placed on immersive, interdisciplinary works that resist easy commodification.
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- Artists: Bhanu Kapil, Brian Eno, Carminho, Caterina Barbieri, Devonté Hynes, FKA Twigs, Holly Herndon, Mat Dryhurst, Jim Jarmusch, Kali Malone, Kazu Makino, Laraaji, Meredith Monk, Moor Mother, Otobong Nkanga, Patti Smith, Precious Okoyomon, Raúl Zurita, Soundwalk Collective, Suzanne Ciani, Terry Riley, Monache benedettine dell'Abbazia di Santa Ildegarda di Eibingen, Alexander Kluge, Ilda David', Tatiana Bilbao, MAIO Architects, Dogma Architects
- People: Hans Ulrich Obrist, Ben Vickers, Koyo Kouoh, Pope Leone XIV, Card. José Tolentino de Mendonça, Stephan Crasneanscki, Simone Merli, Suor Maura Zátonyi OSB
- Locations: Venice
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