A new space dedicated to contemporary creation is born in Venice: Etnia House of Arts opens

Ethnic House of Arts, a new space dedicated to contemporary creation promoted by Etnia Eyewear Culture, opens in Venice on May 9, 2026. The project comes to life in the spaces of the former Church of the Abbazia della Misericordia, in the Cannaregio district, returned to the city after a complex restoration and now transformed into a place intended for artistic production, meeting and experimentation. Built starting in the 10th century, the Misericordia presents an essential but deeply stratified structure, marked by uses and functions that have succeeded one another over time: from religious building to welfare space, up to the most recent transformations. Today, this plural identity constitutes the ideal ground for welcoming new contemporary designs. In this context, Ethnic House of Arts was born, conceived as an open space dedicated to the creativity of the present, dialogue between disciplines and the construction of a temporary community of practices and visions. Promoted by Etnia Eyewear Culture, a broader expression of Etnia Barcelona’s cultural research, the project does not simply reactivate a historic space, but radically redefines its function: the Misericordia becomes a living and traversable environment, where art is produced, shared and made visible in its process of making.

Programming will unfold throughout the season through exhibitions, site-specific interventions, performances and encounters, realized both independently and in collaboration with artists and institutions from the contemporary cultural scene. A central element of the project is the international residency program, which invites artists to work from an intentionally unusual object: the eyeglass. Not considered in its practical function, but as a translation surface and minimal support through which to investigate the themes of vision, identity and representation. The creative process will be developed in direct relationship with the space of the Misericordia, with the Venetian urban context and with the presence of visitors, who will come into contact not only with the finished works, but also with the stages of their realization.

On the occasion of the opening, the collaboration with Skira will give rise to a program of meetings and dialogues with artists and protagonists of contemporary culture, further expanding the possibilities for discussion and participation.

From an architectural point of view, the intervention on the Misericordia Church is based on an approach that enhances the building’s historical stratifications, going beyond a purely conservative vision. The restoration was conceived as a process of listening and knowledge, capable of relating the existing heritage to new modes of use. In fact, the investigations brought to light important elements, such as the 14th-century wooden roof, decorative traces and a rare Gothic window. The project chose to maintain and enhance all the stratifications, including the 19th-century interventions, considering them an integral part of the identity of the place. The result is an articulated restoration that returns a renewed public function to the Misericordia: not celebratory, but productive and generative.

Ethnic House of Arts thus fits into a line of research that goes beyond the traditional exhibition model, moving toward hybrid forms that interweave residence, workshop and cultural platform.

“Over the years we have worked a lot with artists, until we felt the need to create a space where this dialogue could become continuous, not episodic. The Misericordia seemed to us the right place to do this: an almost kaleidoscopic treasure chest where we could activate something that was already present anyway. Ethnic House of Arts was born from this idea: to build a context where vision is not only represented but staged, activating surprising relationships,” said David Pellicer, CEO and Owner of Etnia Barcelona.

Hours: Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Closed Mondays.
Free admission.

A new space dedicated to contemporary creation is born in Venice: Etnia House of Arts opens

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