The Holy See Pavilion at the 61st Venice Biennale, titled "The Ear is the Eye of the Soul," centers on the 12th-century Benedictine abbess and visionary Hildegard of Bingen. Curated by Hans Ulrich Obrist and Ben Vickers in collaboration with Soundwalk Collective, the pavilion spans two Venetian venues—the Mystical Garden of the Discalced Carmelites and the Complesso di Santa Maria Ausiliatrice—and features new sound works by 24 artists, musicians, and poets including Brian Eno, Patti Smith, FKA Twigs, Meredith Monk, and Jim Jarmusch. The title is borrowed from the final work of German director Alexander Kluge, who died in March 2026, and his monumental film installation forms a core part of the exhibition.
This pavilion matters because it offers a radical counterpoint to the accelerated pace of contemporary life by prioritizing listening, silence, and contemplation. By placing Hildegard of Bingen—a polymath, healer, composer, and Doctor of the Church—at its center, the Vatican engages with themes of healing, harmony, and ecological awareness through contemporary art. The project also underscores the growing role of the Holy See in international contemporary art discourse, using the Biennale platform to foster dialogue between medieval spirituality and today's most innovative sound artists.