The Holy See's pavilion at the Venice Biennale has opened, featuring a sound-based exhibition titled "The Ear is the Eye of the Soul" (9 May–22 November). The show, inspired by the medieval Benedictine nun Saint Hildegard of Bingen, includes commissioned audio works by high-profile artists and musicians such as Brian Eno, FKA Twigs, Patti Smith, Jim Jarmusch, and Precious Okoyomon. The exhibition takes place across two Venetian sites—the Mystical Garden of the Discalced Carmelite and the Santa Maria Ausiliatrice complex—and is co-organized by Hans Ulrich Obrist, artistic director of the Serpentine Gallery, and curator Ben Vickers, in collaboration with Soundwalk Collective.
This pavilion signals the Vatican's growing commitment to contemporary art under Pope Francis and his successor Pope Leo XIV. Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça, appointed minister of culture and education in 2022, has expanded the Vatican's presence at the Venice Biennale as a platform for dialogue. The Vatican recently opened a contemporary art space, Conciliazione 5, near St. Peter's Basilica, and plans a new triennial involving seven Catholic universities. These moves reflect a strategic effort to engage with contemporary culture through visual art, music, and cross-disciplinary collaboration.