British artist Nigel Cooke (born 1973) is presenting his first solo exhibition in Italy, titled "Bad Habits," at the Fondazione Querini Stampalia in Venice. The show opens May 5 through November 22, 2026, during the 61st Venice Art Biennale. Five large-scale paintings created during a residency at the foundation—the first artist-in-residence program hosted by the institution—are displayed in the same Portego della Biblioteca space where they were made, offering visitors direct continuity between creation and exhibition. The works explore themes of memory, ruin, identity, and transformation, inspired by the artist's time in Venice and a prior trip to Athens, where he studied fragmentary statues and developed the concept of "thraûsma" (ruin, trauma, or fragment).
This exhibition matters because it marks a significant milestone in Cooke's international career, positioning him as a leading figure in contemporary British painting. The residency model—transforming a historic Venetian palace into a working studio—highlights a growing trend of museums integrating artistic production directly into their spaces, deepening the connection between heritage and contemporary practice. The show also contributes to the broader dialogue of the Venice Biennale, reinforcing the city's role as a site for immersive, site-specific artistic engagement.