In Venice, a new project aims to transform museums into living, participatory spaces

The Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia (MUVE) has launched "Performing MUVE," a new program set to begin in spring 2026 that reimagines museums as dynamic, participatory spaces. The initiative, developed by MUVE Academy and MUVE Education, will unfold across three venues: Museo Fortuny, Casa di Carlo Goldoni, and the new MUVEC – Casa delle Contemporaneità in Mestre. The program includes four distinct projects—led by Mattia Berto, choreographer Elena Ajani, actress Sara Urban, and dancer Giulia Gemma Manfrotto—that use dance, theater, and embodied practices to transform visitors from passive observers into active participants.

This project matters because it reflects a broader international shift in cultural institutions toward experiential and socially engaged models. By centering the body as a tool for accessing culture and addressing themes like active citizenship, fragility, and historical reclamation (e.g., Henriette Nigrin emerging from Mariano Fortuny's shadow), Performing MUVE positions the museum as a political and social space rather than a static repository. It signals how civic museums can evolve to remain relevant in contemporary society.