From Abandoned Venetian Island to Contemporary Art Hub
Between the islands of Murano and Burano, in the heart of the Venetian Lagoon, a forgotten island has been brought back to life through contemporary art. The island of San Giacomo, abandoned for decades, has reopened as a new cultural destination dedicated to exhibitions, installations, sculptures, and site-specific artistic projects. Leading the transformation is the Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, which has converted the former military powder magazine into one of the most ambitious cultural projects in the Lagoon of Venice.
Far from the monumental atmosphere of Venice’s historic center and the rhetoric surrounding major international art events, San Giacomo offers a different vision for the city. Here, art, architecture, sustainability, and the fragile ecosystem of the Lagoon coexist within a single cultural landscape. The island now stands as a new experimental space for artists and contemporary artistic production.
The Sandretto Re Rebaudengo Foundation on the island of San Giacomo in Venice. Photo Jacopo Trabuio. Courtesy Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo
A Historic Island in the Venetian Lagoon Returns to Culture
Purchased in 2018 by Patrizia Sandretto Re Rebaudengo and Agostino Re Rebaudengo, the island had long been overtaken by vegetation, collapsing structures, and signs of decay. Following an extensive restoration project, San Giacomo has now reopened as a new artistic landmark within the Venetian Lagoon.
The island’s history spans nearly a thousand years. Originally founded in the 11th century as a hospice for pilgrims and sailors, it later became a Cistercian convent before being transformed into a military outpost and powder magazine during the Napoleonic period. After its military decommissioning in 1961, the site slowly fell into abandonment.
Rather than erasing the traces of its past, the restoration project preserves the island’s layered architectural history. New structural additions were designed as reversible and independent elements that respect the original Venetian foundations. Even the building materials reflect this philosophy: thousands of original bricks were carefully recovered, cleaned, and reused throughout the restoration and landscaping works.
The Sandretto Re Rebaudengo Foundation on the island of San Giacomo
in Venice. Nixe di Thomas Schütte. Photo Jacopo Trabuio.
Courtesy Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo
The Sandretto Re Rebaudengo Foundation on the island of San Giacomo
in Venice. GONOGO, Goshka Macuga. Photo Jacopo Trabuio.
Courtesy Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo
Sustainability and Contemporary Art in the Venice Lagoon
One of the most innovative aspects of the project is its environmental approach. San Giacomo has been designed as a fully off-grid island, operating independently from public electricity, gas, and water networks.
Energy is generated through integrated photovoltaic systems and intelligent storage technologies, while part of the water supply comes from a restored military-era well. The island’s vegetation has also been redesigned using plant species compatible with the ecosystem of the Venetian Lagoon and requiring minimal irrigation.
In a Lagoon where many islands have become private enclaves or luxury tourist destinations, San Giacomo proposes a different model based on accessibility and cultural openness. It is not simply an exhibition venue, but a living cultural ecosystem where landscape and artistic production continuously interact.
Installations, Sculptures, and Artists on San Giacomo Island
The official opening of the island took place on May 7, 2026, with a program dedicated to exhibitions, installations, and environmental sculptures spread throughout the site.
The former Napoleonic powder magazines host Fanfare/Lament, a project by Matt Copson curated by Hans Ulrich Obrist. The installation uses wind, sound, and light to transform the military architecture into an immersive atmospheric experience. Kite sculptures suspended above the buildings, intermittent fanfares, and laser projections interact with the surrounding Lagoon landscape, creating an almost theatrical environment.
Alongside this project, the group exhibition Don’t have hope, be hope! presents works from the Sandretto Re Rebaudengo Collection, bringing together artists from different generations through themes such as ecology, political vulnerability, and technological transformation.
The outdoor spaces also play a central role in the artistic experience. Permanent installations and sculptures by internationally renowned artists such as Claire Fontaine, Goshka Macuga, and Hugh Hayden are placed throughout the gardens and natural landscape. These works establish a dialogue between contemporary art and the environment of the Venetian Lagoon.
The Sandretto Re Rebaudengo Foundation on the island of San Giacomo in Venice. Huff and a Puff, Hugh Hayden. Photo Jacopo Trabuio. Courtesy Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo
A New Cultural Model for Venice
San Giacomo represents far more than a new exhibition space. The project demonstrates how Venice can rethink and revitalize abandoned areas of the Lagoon through sustainable cultural initiatives capable of involving artists, curators, architects, and international institutions.
At a time when many Lagoon islands risk abandonment or exclusive tourist development, San Giacomo proposes an alternative vision: a place where installations, sculptures, artistic research, and environmental preservation become part of a single cultural infrastructure.
With the reopening of San Giacomo, the Venetian Lagoon gains a new contemporary cultural destination, reaffirming the deep connection between Venice, art, landscape, and experimentation.
*All images on this blog are used for educational and critical purposes only. Credits and copyrights belong to their respective owners and authors. The gallery remains at the disposal of the rightsholders for any corrections, specific citations, or immediate removals upon request.
