Beyond the 2026 Biennale: Discovering the Bevilacqua La Masa Foundation
From the studios of Palazzo Carminati to the 108th Collettiva: a journey through the breeding ground of Venetian contemporary art that gives a voice to young talents
During the opening week of the 61st Venice Art Biennale—a whirlwind of activity, as also reported in Cottura Creativa, marked by storms, political demonstrations, and intense tensions in the Lagoon—after visiting the main exhibition In Minor Keys by Koyo Kouoh and the 100 National Pavilions —we left the Giardini and the monumental walls of the Arsenale behind in search of a different place. A place that served as a “training ground and incubator” for contemporary art. We’re talking about the Bevilacqua La Masa Foundation.
To understand the spirit of this institution, we need to go back in time to 1898. The central figure is Duchess Felicita Bevilacqua, widow of General La Masa, a woman of extraordinary vision who decided to bequeath her palace on the Grand Canal (the famous Ca’ Pesaro) to the city. Incredible, isn’t it? But it wasn’t an unconditional gift: the Duchess put in writing a clause that remains the DNA of the Foundation to this day: the palace was to serve to support “young artists, who are often barred from entering major exhibitions.”
At a time when the Biennale was already a prestigious institution but often conservative and subject to market forces, Bevilacqua La Masa emerged as a space of resistance and freedom, a place where the “excluded” could find a home and an audience. Since then, passing through its galleries or winning one of its scholarships has become a rite of passage for any creative artist wishing to make their mark in Venice.
The Bevilacqua La Masa Foundation is not merely an exhibition space: some describe it as “an ecosystem.” Its significance lies in its ability to occupy various strategic locations throughout the city—from the Gallery in St. Mark’s Square to the Palazzetto Tito, and on to the Complex of Saints Cosmas and Damian on the Giudecca—transforming them into permanent laboratories.
The flagship program is the Ateliers: 12 studios awarded each year to young artists (individuals or collectives) who can live and work in the heart of Venice for 12 months. In a city that constantly risks becoming depopulated and turning into an open-air museum, a victim of overtourism that can at times be suffocating, Bevilacqua La Masa ensures the presence of an active creative community, keeping the dialogue between artistic production and the urban fabric alive.
If you want to gauge the pulse of the art world of the future, this season’s must-see event (through June 28, 2026) is the 108th Young Artists’ Group Exhibition. Held in the evocative Sala del Camino at SS. Cosma e Damiano on the Giudecca Island, the exhibition is the result of a rigorous selection process: out of 320 submissions, 46 works by 37 artists under 30 residing in the Triveneto region were chosen. It is a “scorching” exhibition, marked by urgency and diverse artistic languages. There is no set formula: the works range from the most visceral painting to experimental sculpture, from video installations to performances and process-based practices. Entering this exhibition means confronting the obsessions, fears, and hopes of a generation of creatives who view the world with fresh eyes. The competition is not just a showcase: three grand prize winners officially join the Foundation’s Collection thanks to a 7,000-euro purchase prize, a tangible form of support that allows these young artists to take their first real step into the professional world.
During the 2026 Art Biennale, the Bevilacqua La Masa venues serve as bridges between history and the contemporary world: when it came to choosing a venue to visit, we opted for Palazzo Carminati, in the Santa Croce neighborhood, where we found eight studios that gave us a breath of fresh air. You reach them—and it’s no exaggeration to say so—by climbing 88 of those steep “Venetian” steps, and a whole new world opens up: we entered the studio of Rovers Malaj, a 30-year-old Albanian artist who envisions a world in shades of pink and creates an extremely interesting figurative style, then we moved on to the spacious studio of Hetty Laycock, a 27-year-old from England, who works with wax and whatever she finds in the streets, like dry leaves, creating fascinating sculptures, and then we chatted with Paola Cenati, from Bergamo, 26, who works with wood and shapes fascinating sculptures, and finally to Ketty Gobbo, from Treviso, 27, who has transformed her attic studio into a veritable Wunderkammer with an installation of grocery receipts, with the idea of reflecting on everything we discard every day without realizing it.
Milanese, professional journalist, mother of two spirited teenage daughters, she loves to tell the 'glass half full' side of life—without ignoring any sediment at the bottom. For the past fifteen years, she has passionately covered cultural news, both Italian and international, and writes interviews for some of the leading Italian publications. A long-time contemporary art enthusiast, she’s also a hyper-organized travel addict. Lately, she has traded running for Pilates.
