Ilya & Emilia Kabakov: Venetian Diary A project with the participation of the inhabitants of Venice
Three years after the passing of Ilya Kabakov, Venice pays homage to one of the most important artistic couples on the international stage with Venetian Diary, a monumental and participatory project conceived by Ilya and Emilia Kabakov. The product of their shared vision, the work places at its center the stories, memories, and objects of Venetians, offering an intense collective self-portrait to the city and reaffirming the poetic and conceptual power that has established the duo as seminal figures in the world of contemporary art.
Presented in conjunction with the 61st International Exhibition of Art — the Venice Biennale, the project, curated by Cesare Biasini Selvaggi and Giulia Abate, unfolds as a dialogue between the city and the Biennale, across the main floor of Ca’ Tron, a historic 16th-century palazzo overlooking the Grand Canal and the home to the Iuav University of Venice, and the Venetian Pavilion at the Giardini, as part of the exhibition Persistent Notes, curated by Giovanna Zabotti with Denis Isaia and Cesare Biasini Selvaggi.
From May 9th to June 28th, 2026, the show, organized by BAM and under the patronage of the Municipality of Venice, will transform Ca’ Tron into a huge narrative and relational apparatus. This is not a show about Venice, but a show with Venice.
