O A

OPERA APERTA reclaims repair as a creative and radical practice, one that extends beyond buildings to care for institutions, communities, ecosystems, and the fragile ties between them.

Over the next six months, an international team and local collectives will carry out a process of social and ecological repair within the Complesso di Santa Maria Ausiliatrice, focusing on what can be conserved, repurposed, and reactivated.

At the heart of this transformation are artisans and restorers. Their work, supported by experimental sessions from the Università Internazionale dell’Arte, ensures that traditional techniques are preserved and passed on.

Here, repair is not only structural but relational. It creates conditions for mutual care and seeks to restore value to that which has often been overlooked or neglected. The building’s cracks, stains, and weathering are not treated as flaws to be concealed, but as thresholds for transformation. These conditions allow for a reimagining of the relationship between growth and decay; they honor the layered histories embedded in the place and acknowledge the lives of those who came before–while making space for new forms of intelligence to emerge.

This attitude permeates every corner of the building, through embodied and restorative experiences such as food and music, open to all. A communal table hosted by Nonsoloverde offers shared meals and invites dialogue between residents and visitors, while rehearsal rooms welcome students from the Conservatory of Music of Venice and their impromptu audiences.

The project advocates for an architecture that is responsive rather than prescriptive; a site of cultural and material engagement deeply rooted in the communities it serves: Venice, its inhabitants, those in transit, and the newly arrived.

OPERA APERTA is an opportunity to position architecture as an act of stewardship, and to infuse both the discipline and the world at large with a renewed sense of purpose in these uncertain times. 

COLOPHON

COMMISSARIO

COMMISSIONER

Sua Eminenza Cardinale

His Eminence Cardinal

José Tolentino de Mendonça

CURATORI

CURATORS

Marina Otero Verzier
Giovanna Zabotti

DIREZIONE ARTISTICA E PROGETTO ARCHITETTONICO

ART DIRECTION AND ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN

TATIANA BILBAO ESTUDIO

Tatiana Bilbao
Alba Cortés Rodríguez
Isaac Solis Rosas
Helene Schauer

MAIO ARCHITECTS

Anna Puigjaner
Guillermo López
Maria Charneco
Alfredo Lérida

ASSISTENZA AI DISEGNI ARCHITETTONICI

DRAWING ASSISTANCE

Paco Tébui

PROGETTO GRAFICO

GRAPHIC DESIGN

ESTUDIO HERRERA

Maricris Herrera
Israel Hernández
Gabriela Quezada
Mirelle Rodríguez
Sofia Ruiz Rodríguez

PROGETTO ILLUMINOTECNICO

LIGHTING DESIGN

cube.bz

Maria de la Cambra
Gabriel Paré

ORGANIZZAZIONE

ORGANISATION

DICASTERO PER LA CULTURA E L’EDUCAZIONE DELLA SANTA SEDE

DICASTERY OF CULTURE AND EDUCATION OF THE HOLY SEE

Sua Eccellenza Monsignore

His Excellency Monsignor

Paul Tighe
Cristiano Grisogoni

COMITATO GIUBILEO CULTURA EDUCAZIONE

CULTURE EDUCATION JUBILEE COMMITTEE

Monsignore Davide Milani

Monsignor Davide Milani

Nicola Tomasoni
Cristiano Grisogoni

PARTNER PRINCIPALE

MAIN PARTNER

Intesa Sanpaolo

PARTNER

dstgroup

PARTNER TECNICI

TECHNICAL PARTNERS

UNIVERSITÀ CA’ FOSCARI

Barbara Benedetti

PROGETTAZIONE ESECUTIVA

EXECUTIVE PRODUCTION

COR ARQUITECTOS

Roberto Cremascoli
Edison Okumura
Marta Rodrigues

COORDINAMENTO PRODUZIONE

COORDINATION PRODUCTION

Erika Pisciotta
Camilla Donantoni

COORDINAMENTO LOCALE

LOCAL COORDINATION

DUMBO DESIGN STUDIO

Raul Betti
Greta Ruffino

STUDIO DI

PROGETTAZIONE LOCALE

LOCAL OFFICE PROJECT

Valentina Vettori

DIREZIONE LAVORI

CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT

Mattia Marzaro
Nicola Picco (Restauro)

PIANO DELLA SICUREZZA

SECURITY PLAN

Davide Cassandro

PROGETTAZIONE ILLUMINOTECNICA LOCALE

LOCAL LIGHTING DESIGN

Fabio Cappellato

ALLESTIMENTO

SET UP

Lares – Lavori di Restauro – s.r.l
Euroedile s.r.l. / Pilosio s.r.l.

ILLUMINAZIONE

LIGHTING

S.I.E. s.r.l.

PRODUZIONE GRAFICA

GRAPHIC PRODUCTION

FALLANI VENEZIA
Print Materia S.r.l.

COMUNICAZIONE

COMUNICATION

CASADOROFUNGHER

Elena Casadoro Kopp
Francesca De Pra

SOCIAL MEDIA

Nicoletta Graziano

PRENOTAZIONI VISITE E LABORATORI

RESERVATION SERVICE AND WORKSHOP

CoopCulture

LABORATORI

WORKSHOP

Università Internazionale dell’Arte

TRASPORTI

TRANSPORT

Catil Servizi S.r.l.

ASSICURAZIONI

INSURANCE

GENERALI

SI RINGRAZIA

WE THANK

Sua Eccellenza Patriarca

His Excellency Patriarch
Francesco Moraglia e il
Patriarcato di Venezia
Comune di Venezia

Assessorato al Patrimonio, Toponomastica,

Universitàe Promozione del territorio Vez-Rete
Biblioteche Venezia, Conservatorio di Musica
Benedetto Marcello, Istituto Universitario
Salesiano Venezia

Nonsoloverde
Gallerie d’Italia
Giornale dell’Arte
Serra dei Giardini
Rigoni Di Asiago
Corvezzo Winery
Az. Agr. Dieci Prese
Pasquale Bevilacqua
Enrico Bressan
Maurizio Carlin
Cristina Cossa
Marco Cremascoli
Angelica Ferreira
Chiara Grandesso
José Hevia
Michela Magnanini
Flavia Fossa Margutti
Alessandro Marinello
Roberta Martel
Veronica Rade
Francesco Rubino
Micol Saleri
Alvise Saoner
Sebastian Severin
Biagio Stasi

VISIT

THE HOLY SEE'S PARTICIPATION AT THE 19TH INTERNATIONAL ARCHITECTURE EXHIBITION LA BIENNALE DI VENEZIA

COMPLEX SANTA MARIA AUSILIATRICE

FONDAMENTA
S. GIOACCHIN
#450 30122
VENEZIA, VE

ON VIEW
:

ON VIEW
:
10
05

23
11
20
25
ON VIEW
:
SUMMER
10
05

28
09
11H

19H

FALL
30
09

23
11
10H

18H

CLOSED
MONDAYS
EXCEPT
:
12
05
02
06
21
07
01
09
20
10
17
11

REPAIR

Over the course of six months, this space–the Complesso di Santa Maria Ausiliatrice–will be the site of a collective repair initiative. At the heart of this transformation is the expertise of restorers: local specialists in the recovery of works in stone, marble, terracotta, stucco, wood, and metal.
Taking place from Tuesdays to Fridays, the restoration work they lead will be visible to anyone interested, offering a rare opportunity to witness craftsmanship in action.

(+)
RESTORATION EXPERIMENTS
(+)
DRAWING THROUGH THE CRACKS
(+)
MUSICAL ACTIVATIONS
(+)
OPEN TABLE

PROGRAM

Sun 01

MUSICAL ACTIVATIONS
11H 13H 15H 17H
(+)

Mon 02

REPAIR
11H
(+)

Tue 03

REPAIR
11H
(+)
MUSICAL ACTIVATIONS
11H 13H 15H 17H
(+)
SHELLAC WORKSHOP
15H
(+)
OPEN TABLE
17H
(+)

Wed 04

REPAIR
11H
(+)

Thu 05

REPAIR
11H
(+)

Fri 06

REAPIR
11H
(+)
MUSICAL ACTIVATIONS
11H 13H 15H 17H
(+)
WALL MURAL WORKSHOP
15H
(+)
OPEN TABLE
17H
(+)

Sat 07

MUSICAL ACTIVATIONS
11H 13H 15H 17H
(+)

Sun 08

MUSICAL ACTIVATIONS
11H 13H 15H 17H
(+)

Mon 09

CLOSED

Tue 10

REPAIR
11H
(+)
MUSICAL ACTIVATIONS
11H 13H 15H 17H
(+)
LAPIDARY WORKSHOP
15H
(+)
OPEN TABLE
17H
(+)

Wed 11

REPAIR
11H
(+)

Thu 12

REPAIR
11H
(+)

Fri 13

REPAIR
11H
(+)
MUSICAL ACTIVATIONS
11H 13H 15H 17H
(+)
GILDING WORKSHOP
15H
(+)
OPEN TABLE
17H
(+)

Sat 14

MUSICAL ACTIVATIONS
11H 13H 15H 17H
(+)

Sun 15

MUSICAL ACTIVATIONS
11H 13H 15H 17H
(+)

Mon 16

CLOSED

Tue 17

REPAIR
11H
(+)
MUSICAL ACTIVATIONS
11H 13H 15H 17H
(+)
SILICONE MOLDS WORKSHOP
15H
(+)
OPEN TABLE
17H
(+)

Wed 18

REPAIR
11H
(+)

Thu 19

REPAIR
11H
(+)

Fri 20

REPAIR
11H
(+)
MUSICAL ACTIVATIONS
11H 13H 15H 17H
(+)
COLOR WORKSHOP
15H
(+)
OPEN TABLE
17H
(+)

Sat 21

MUSICAL ACTIVATIONS
11H 13H 15H 17H
(+)

Sun 22

MUSICAL ACTIVATIONS
11H 13H 15H 17H
(+)

Mon 23

CLOSED

Tue 24

REPAIR
11H
(+)
MUSICAL ACTIVATIONS
11H 13H 15H 17H
(+)
SHELLAC WORKSHOP
15H
(+)
OPEN TABLE
17H
(+)

Wed 25

REPAIR
11H
(+)

Thu 26

REPAIR
11H
(+)

Fri 27

REPAIR
11H
(+)

Sat 28

REPAIR
11H
(+)
MUSICAL ACTIVATIONS
11H 13H 15H 17H
(+)
SHELLAC WORKSHOP
15H
(+)
OPEN TABLE
17H
(+)

Sat 28

MUSICAL ACTIVATIONS
11H 13H 15H 17H
(+)

Sun 29

MUSICAL ACTIVATIONS
11H 13H 15H 17H
(+)

Mon 30

CLOSED

“Everything in the world is connected… The society is also enriched by a countless array of organizations which work to promote the common good and to defend the environment, whether natural or urban. Some, for example, show concern for a public place (a building, a fountain, an abandoned monument, a landscape, a square), and strive to protect, restore, improve or beautify it as something belonging to everyone. Around these community actions, relationships develop or are recovered and a new social fabric emerges. Thus, a community can break out of the indifference induced by consumerism. These actions cultivate a shared identity, with a story which can be remembered and handed on. In this way, the world is cared”.  POPE FRANCIS, Encyclical Letter Laudato Si’ On Care for Our Common Home

“Everything in the world is connected… The society is also enriched by a countless array of organizations which work to promote the common good and to defend the environment, whether natural or urban. Some, for example, show concern for a public place (a building, a fountain, an abandoned monument, a landscape, a square), and strive to protect, restore, improve or beautify it as something belonging to everyone. Around these community actions, relationships develop or are recovered and a new social fabric emerges. Thus, a community can break out of the indifference induced by consumerism. These actions cultivate a shared identity, with a story which can be remembered and handed on. In this way, the world is cared”.  POPE FRANCIS, Encyclical Letter Laudato Si’ On Care for Our Common Home

PadigliOne della Santa Sede

10.05 23.11, 2025