Jim Jarmusch, Patti Smith & Brian Eno Feature In Venice Biennale’s The Holy See Pavilion

Key Takeaways

• Brian Eno joins 24 artists to reinterpret Saint Hildegard’s chants
• Venue spans hidden Carmelite garden and historic Castello scriptorium
• Alexander Kluge’s final film installation debuts posthumously
• Soundwalk Collective built a real‑time listening instrument for the garden
• Pope’s pavilion uses sound to shift Biennale’s visual overload

Pulse Analysis

The Vatican’s entry into the 61st Venice Biennale marks a rare convergence of faith and cutting‑edge sound art. By naming the show “The Ear is the Eye of the Soul,” curators Hans Ulrich Obrist and Ben Vickers signal a deliberate pivot from visual spectacle to auditory immersion. Centered on Saint Hildegard of Bingen—a medieval polymath canonized for her music and mysticism—the pavilion leverages her legacy to justify a program that treats listening as a spiritual act, aligning with the Biennale’s broader call for slower, more attentive experiences.

The roster reads like a who’s‑who of experimental music: Brian Eno, Terry Riley, Meredith Monk, Suzanne Ciani, FKA Twigs, and Patti Smith, among others, create site‑specific works that echo Hildegard’s chants while probing contemporary sonic frontiers. Soundwalk Collective’s garden‑installed instrument captures ambient vibrations in real time, turning the monastic courtyard into a living mixer. In the adjacent Santa Maria Ausiliatrice complex, Alexander Kluge’s twelve‑station film‑and‑image installation serves as his artistic swan song, while liturgical recordings from Benedictine nuns add a reverent counterpoint. The blend of historic architecture, new monastery design by Tatiana Bilbao Estudio, and artist‑made books deepens the sense of a living archive.

For the art market and cultural institutions, the Holy See Pavilion demonstrates how religious bodies can remain culturally relevant by embracing experimental formats. The emphasis on sound challenges conventional gallery economics, which often prioritize sellable objects, and invites collectors to consider experiential commissions. Moreover, the project underscores a growing appetite among audiences for multisensory, contemplative events that counteract the relentless visual churn of social media. As the Biennale draws global attention, the Vatican’s bold auditory gamble may inspire other legacy institutions to explore similar immersive, cross‑disciplinary ventures.