The Saudi Cultural Space in Venice
Seven month Cultural Program Activating San Gregorio Abbey
During the Venice Biennale, San Gregorio Abbey was activated as a long term cultural platform through an extensive public program.
Cultural Venues Operations
Museums Exhibitions & Events
Project & Design Management
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Client
Diriyah Biennale Foundation, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Ministry of culture
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Location
ITALY, Venice
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Year
2025
Cultural Venues Operations
Museums Exhibitions & Events
Project & Design Management
The public program
BLΛCK conceived, curated, and delivered every aspect of the Public Program, from the exhibition layouts and technical direction to the development of a dedicated brand identity for each activation. The team also produced a cross-channel communication strategy, managing social media content and a city-wide MUPI campaign across key Venetian touchpoints including Santa Lucia station, vaporetto routes, and the airport ensuring strong on-site visibility and sustained public engagement. Over seven months, the program welcomed more than 85,000 visitors, confirming the Abbey as a vibrant platform for cultural exchange throughout the Biennale.
Saudi short movies
A curated program of Saudi short films presented in collaboration with the Saudi Film Commission. Screenings were accompanied by panels and live Q&A sessions with filmmakers, positioning cinema as a tool for cultural dialogue.
Pop-Up Store KAF BY KAF x adidas
A limited-edition retail activation developed in collaboration with the Fashion Commission, showcasing the partnership between Saudi label KAF BY KAF and adidas. The pop-up highlighted Saudi creativity through contemporary fashion, storytelling, and spatial design.
Threads of Identity: Saudi House of Fashion
The exhibition curated with the Fashion Commission, explored Saudi fashion through heritage and innovation. Garments and jewelry from the Saudi 100 Brands initiative were presented as expressions of identity and contemporary craftsmanship.
Kingdom Photography Award “In A New Light”
A photography exhibition presented in collaboration with the Visual Arts Commission, showcasing contemporary perspectives on Saudi Arabia through selected works from the Kingdom Photography Award. Public engagement activities fostered visual exchange and dialogue by an activation called “photo walk”
Flavors Without Borders
Two day culinary experience developed with Slow Food and the Culinary arts Commission, where chef Taleen Miliani chef and Chiara Pavan co created a shared tasting menu, blending two culinary culture to create a space for dialogue around culture, sustainability, and creativity.
A Fusion of Saudi & Venetian Sound Landscape
A site-specific sound installation developed in collaboration with the Music Commission, weaving traditional Saudi instruments with Venetian soundscapes. The immersive experience invited visitors into a contemplative journey, where sound guided the discovery of shared cultural resonances.
Year of Handicrafts,WRTH,Heritage commission
An installation developed in collaboration with the Heritage Commission, celebrating Saudi craftsmanship through materials, objects, and regional traditions. The project highlighted traditional techniques and artisanal knowledge as living cultural practices.
Lines That Unite: Arabic Calligraphy in Space
An exhibition presented with the Heritage Commission, exploring Arabic calligraphy as a spatial and living art form. Performances and workshops invited visitors to engage directly with calligraphy as cultural expression.
Gift Shop
The exhibition gift shop was designed as a curated extension of the show, blending contemporary design with Saudi cultural identity. Custom displays and furnishings enhance the products and echo the exhibition’s visual language. Saudi handcrafted items are presented with concise storytelling and refined packaging, highlighting their origin, technique, and meaning. The space functions as both retail and cultural experience, making Saudi heritage accessible, memorable, and high-quality.
Together, the ground-floor exhibition and the first-floor activations shaped a single, continuous experience within San Gregorio Abbey. Architectural research, material heritage, and contemporary creative practices converged into a shared narrative — one that invited visitors to move between physical fragments, digital immersion, and live cultural exchange, expanding the meaning of the musalla beyond its original context.
Through the realization of Rooted Transience and the production of the Public Program, BLΛCK helped transform the Abbey into a landmark platform for international dialogue during the Biennale. The project stands as a lasting example of how historic venues can be reactivated through design and cultural programming, creating new bridges between Saudi Arabia and Venice while leaving a legacy of collaboration, visibility, and shared knowledge.
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From designing the scenography and producing artwork to enhancing the venue and overseeing operations.
