The Holy See Pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale will present The Ear is the Eye of the Soul, an ambitious, sound-led project curated by Hans Ulrich Obrist and Ben Vickers, in collaboration with the Soundwalk Collective. Running from May 9th to November 22nd, the project will unfold across two historic Venetian sites, positioning listening as the central mode of encounter.
A sonic prayer: a concept inspired by Hildegard of Bingen
Drawing on the legacy of Hildegard of Bingen, the pavilion explores sound as a spiritual medium and a cultural language. Described as a sonic prayer, the project aligns with Koyo Kouoh’s vision for the Biennale, prioritising attention, stillness and reflection over spectacle.
Two Venues, Two Narratives: the mystical garden and the contemporary scriptorium in Castello
Set within the secluded garden of the Discalced Carmelites in Cannaregio, The Mystical Garden is an immersive experience featuring headphone-based sound works. Here, Soundwalk Collective captures and transforms the site’s ambient rhythms in real time. In Castello, the Complex of Santa Maria Ausiliatrice is transformed into a contemporary “scriptorium”—a living archive of texts and installations, including Alexander Kluge’s final multi-room work, alongside interventions by Tatiana Bilbao and a selection of artist books by Ilda David.
Bringing together over twenty artists and musicians, including Brian Eno, Patti Smith, FKA Twigs, and Jim Jarmusch, the pavilion frames sound as a shared medium across disciplines.
Rejecting visual excess, the project promotes listening as a deliberate and critical act. Sound becomes both method and message: a way of shaping meaning through attention, stillness and time.
