The New Installation of the Querini Stampalia Foundation in Venice Is a Game of Combinatory Art. Interview with Director Cristiana Collu

The Fondazione Querini Stampalia in Venice has unveiled a new permanent installation titled "The Dreamer," curated by director Cristiana Collu and opening May 5, 2026. The exhibition repositions over 170 works from the foundation's collection—including Giovanni Bellini's *Presentation of Jesus at the Temple*, Luca Giordano's *San Sebastiano*, and Palma il Vecchio's *Madonna with Child*—in dialogue with works by six contemporary artists: Giusy Calia, Silvia Giambrone, Daniela De Lorenzo, Davide Rivalta, Emanuele Becheri, and Chiara Bettazzi. Inspired by the dreams and passions of founder Giovanni Querini Stampalia (born May 5, 1799) and his sister Caterina, the installation is conceived as a non-chronological, emotionally driven journey likened to a "reverse cinema" where visitors move through space like directors constructing their own narrative.

This installation matters because it represents a bold curatorial approach that blends historical collection with contemporary art in a fluid, dreamlike structure, challenging traditional museum displays. By explicitly referencing Luchino Visconti's film *Senso* and employing what Collu calls "combinatory art," the project positions the Querini Stampalia as a laboratory for innovative exhibition-making that merges past and present. It also highlights the growing trend of Italian cultural institutions reimagining their permanent collections through immersive, interdisciplinary frameworks, potentially influencing how other historic foundations engage audiences.