Le Stanze della Fotografia

Le Stanze della Fotografia are the new home of photography in Venice: the exhibition and research centre is the continuation of the journey begun at the Casa dei Tre Oci. The joint initiative by Marsilio Arte and the Giorgio Cini Foundation brings photography into the rooms of the old boarding school on the Island of San Giorgio Maggiore, inside Fondazione Giorgio Cini, reinforcing the natural partnership between photography and the island, which holds a vast amount of documentary heritage, with one of the most important photographic collections in Europe.

Under the artistic direction of Denis Curti, the Stanze were conceived as an international centre for research and for showcasing of photography and the culture of images, which will offer exhibitions and retrospectives in Venice and other Italian cities, labs, meetings and workshops, in the belief that photography should continue to have its own special home in Venice.

Address: Island of San Giorgio Maggiore, Venice

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The former boarding school building that houses Le Stanze della Fotografia, approximately 1,850 square metres of space across two levels, has been the subject of significant reorganization and restoration aimed at expanding and enhancing the premises, which was carried out by the firm Architects Pedron/La Tegola, with the special involvement of Venice’s Teatro La Fenice, that assisted with the installation of lightweight and movable walls which, like theatrical sets, can be moved around when staging the various exhibitions, with a view to the sustainability of the cultural enterprise. Originally used as warehouses for the customs office, the site took its current form around 1870. In 1952, with the birth of Fondazione Giorgio Cini, the building became a boarding school and in 2007 it was restored and made an exhibition venue. It is located in the north-east part of the island of San Giorgio: on one long side it overlooks the adjacent foundations of the Darsena Grande; on its short side it looks out onto the lagoon, visible from inside thanks to two large and spectacular windows.

Photo by Matteo De Fina