Persistent Notes

The exhibition explores the city as a living organism between memory, matter and sound, in dialogue with the curatorial concept "In Minor Keys."

Looking at it closely, it seems Venice has disavowed its own geographical boundaries since its very origins. It is likely that someone—more than one, at some point—must have sensed the opportunity to establish themselves in the more fertile realms of myth. To do so, they took advantage of the sea and the dreaming voice of their city, whose uniqueness rests upon the skeleton that supports it: a remote, stilt-like oak forest connecting it to the very foundations of life.

Like Venice, Note persistenti begins with the water represented by the basin that precedes the pavilion's interior. In that mirror, the first "notes" materialize—the most muffled, underwater ones that seem to resonate from the depths of the lagoon. Relics of the world beneath the city’s feet: a landscape catalyzed by the pilings and everything that clusters around them.

Within the narrative of this journey, the now-resurfaced “notes” echo once more in the air, continuously invoking the very matter closest to gratitude. As in a composition in a minor key, the exhibition project invites us to align ourselves with the vibrations that allow us to endure.
And matter — a persistent heart — welcomes the voices from the folds of history, as the city and its pavilion become a field of complicity.

Many voices, four dimensions.

Meet the artists translating the unseen rhythms, intimate memories, and physical matter of Venice into a singular collective score.

Echo — il piano sotto le proiezioni immersive

Echo

Dardust and Paolo Fantin

The composer and the scenographer present SommersiVo, an immersive, AI-generated sound installation exploring the mythological dimension of the city.

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Emersasommersa — le sculture UG nella vasca del Padiglione Venezia

Emersasommersa

Alberto Scodro

The artist represents the submerged dimension of the exhibition with his site-specific installation Emersasommersa, featuring the UG sculpture series.

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Venetian Diary — oggetti e memorie nelle teche di vetro

Venetian Diary

Ilya and Emilia Kabakov

The world-renowned duo presents Diario veneziano (Venetian Diary), capturing the domestic, collective memory and everyday life of the local inhabitants.

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Artefici del Nostro Tempo — la sala espositiva

Artefici del Nostro Tempo

Young talents

A collective platform showcasing selected contemporary artworks by emerging artists under the age of 35. A shared space for conversation and connection.

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Mapping the Notes

Note persistenti unfolds as a physical and sensory score divided into four symbolic dimensions of Venice. From the external waters to the collective heart of the pavilion, each numbered zone guides you through a distinct realm of memory, matter, and sound. Explore the layout below to navigate the persistent voices of the city.

Planimetria del percorso espositivo del Padiglione Venezia
Commissioner:
Maurizio Carlin
Curator:
Giovanna Zabotti
with the participation of
Denis Isaia and Cesare Biasini Selvaggi
Exhibitors:
Dardust, Paolo Fantin, Ilya and Emilia Kabakov, Alberto Scodro, Artefici del Nostro Tempo