In the year of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games, in Venice you can skate in the frescoed ballroom on the second floor of an ancient 18th-century palace. In fact, at Palazzo Diedo, Berggruen Arts & Culture presents Eisfeld II, an ice installation signed by internationally renowned artist Olaf Nicolai.
The German term Eisfeld literally means “ice field”: the installation actually takes the form of a 100-square-meter skating rink that, although located in an enclosed space, gradually cools as the exhibition progresses. The installation is accompanied by an original soundtrack by the Berlin-based band To Rococo Rot, delivered through six speakers arranged around the rink, which amplify and render the visitors’ movements as they skate.
First presented in 2001 at the Migros Museum für Gegenwartskunst in Zurich, Eisfeld, which began as an open, accessible and versatile space, is now being reinterpreted for Palazzo Diedo. In Eisfeld II, Nicolai inserts an ice rink immersed in a baroque atmosphere and made with advanced technologies for the production of artificial ice, renewing the dialogue between the concepts of Enjoy and Survive, reworked in a contemporary key through light panels.
The two light boxes ENJOY / SURVIVE I & II, placed at the ends of the rink, invite visitors to reflect on the delicate balance between enjoyment and survival, transforming the skating experience into a moment of intense sensory and conceptual perception.
Born in Halle/Saale in 1962, Olaf Nicolai is one of Germany’s leading artists. He works conceptually and links art to reflections on markets and materialism, to memory and archival materials, as well as to contexts drawn from everyday life. He creates artificial landscapes and urban scenarios, enlarges consumer objects to monumental dimensions, and uses advertising graphics rendered alienating. Nicolai often incorporates results of scientific research into his projects. His fascination with mathematical models, universal algorithms, symbolism and regular patterns is evident in many of his installations.
Eisfeld II is open from Dec. 13, 2025 to Feb. 22, 2026, Friday through Sunday from 3 to 7 p.m. (last admission 6 p.m.). During the holidays open Dec. 23 to Jan. 6, 3 to 7 p.m. (last admission 6 p.m.). Closed Dec. 25. Entrance fee includes skate rental. Access to the skating rink operates Eisfeld II is 30 minutes, unless otherwise evaluated by staff.
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| In Venice, Olaf Nicolai installs a skating rink in an 18th-century frescoed palace |
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