Peninsula of Isola di Sant'Andrea, Venice, Italy, 2024 (ongoing)

A collaborative initiative to transform a historic site into a communal space for art and architecture, respecting its ecological and cultural heritage.

The fort of Isola di Sant’Andrea is  a historic defensive structure, playing a significant role in the fragile social and environmental  ecosystem of the Venice lagoon. It was the site where the Republic of Venice celebrated the annual “Wedding of the Sea” and where the first cannons were fired against Napoleon, leading to the fall of the republic in 1797. Since then, the island has been military property and left vacant, gradually being reclaimed by the lagoon’s ecosystem. The peninsula of Isola di Sant’Andrea, encompassing 2,500 square meters of the island, is set to become an artist-run, non-commercial communal space for performances, architecture and art production. Development of the peninsula will occur through ongoing workshops and public programming, collaborating with various local groups, organizations, artists, academics, and scientists across a wide range of disciplines.  Architectural designs and strategies are being collectively developed to activate an existing church on the peninsula, to construct a pavilion for shade, establish a kitchen, create storage facilities, and provide a space for art. The intent is to employ traditional bioregional building techniques, materials, and skills, engaging the wider community in the process.

Team: Paolo Rosso, Giorgio Andreotta Caló, Marco Bravetti,
Kirsten de Graaf, Kristine Jærn Pilgaard and Alexander Eriksson Furunes
Partners: TBA21 Ocean Space, Fondazione In Between Art Film