A new hub for contemporary art and international artists
From May 5, 2026, Venice welcomes a new point of reference for artists and all contemporary art enthusiasts: Etnia House of Arts, an innovative cultural space dedicated to research, artistic production, and interdisciplinary dialogue.
The project takes shape within the former Church of the Misericordia, a historically rich site returned to the city after a careful and complex restoration process.
Located in the Cannaregio district, the building dates back to the 10th century and stands as a significant example of Venice’s layered architectural history. Over the centuries, it has served multiple functions—religious, charitable, and civic—before being transformed today into a dynamic cultural space designed to host new forms of artistic expression.
Etnia House of Arts: a project between art, research, and community
Promoted by Etnia Barcelona through its platform Etnia Eyewear Culture, the project goes beyond simply reactivating a historic site, redefining its role entirely. The aim is to create an open cultural space where contemporary art is not only exhibited, but also produced and shared in real time.
Etnia House of Arts is conceived as an ever-evolving environment, where international artists are invited to work in close contact with the public, fostering a direct dialogue between creative process and audience experience. In this context, Venice once again confirms its role as a privileged laboratory for artistic experimentation.
Misericordia Abbey in Venice. Wikimedia Commons
Programming and residencies: the core of the project
The program unfolds throughout the season with exhibitions, site-specific installations, performances, and talks, often developed in collaboration with institutions and key figures from the international cultural scene.
A central element of the initiative is the artist residency program, which invites participants to engage with an unusual object: eyewear. No longer seen as a simple accessory, it becomes a symbolic device through which to explore fundamental themes of contemporary art such as vision, identity, and representation.
The creative process develops in direct relation to the Misericordia space and the urban fabric of Venice, actively involving visitors, who are invited to experience not only the finished works but also the different stages of their creation.
Architecture and restoration: a dialogue between past and present
From an architectural perspective, the restoration of the Misericordia represents a virtuous example of integration between conservation and innovation. The intervention enhanced all historical layers of the building, bringing to light elements of great value such as the 14th-century wooden roof, original decorative traces, and a rare Gothic window.
The project avoided a purely conservative approach, transforming the space into a living, flexible organism. The result is a cultural space capable of hosting contemporary art without renouncing its historical identity—on the contrary, amplifying it.
Venice and the future of cultural spaces
Etnia House of Arts fits into an increasingly widespread trend in Venice: moving beyond the traditional exhibition model to embrace hybrid formats that combine exhibition, laboratory, and artist residency.
As emphasized by David Pellicer, the goal is to create a context in which the relationship between artists, audience, and space becomes continuous rather than episodic—a place where vision is not only represented, but activated through shared experiences.
With this new project, Venice strengthens its role as an international capital of contemporary art, confirming itself not only as a guardian of a unique heritage, but also as fertile ground for new experimentation and artistic languages.
Misericordia Abbey in Venice. Wikimedia Commons
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