Isola di San Giacomo

Isola di San Giacomo will become the new home of the Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, joining its existing venues in Guarene and Turin. San Giacomo will become a place for producing artistic projects and hosting research and discussions on art, music, cinema, theatre, and contemporary culture. Surrounded by the delicate ecosystem of the lagoon, the island will serve as a laboratory for ecological reflection, where the principles of sustainability and energy transition will be put into practice.

Restoration work is currently underway on the existing buildings—the three powder magazines of the Napoleonic military outpost, built in 1810 after the demolition of the ancient Monastery of San Giacomo Maggiore—which have been unused since the 1960s. New trees will be planted to restore the island to its natural landscape.

In this initial phase, the performances curated by Hans Ulrich Obrist, organized on the island during the opening days of the Venice Biennale, connect to the recent history of San Giacomo. Here, in September 1975, on the occasion of the Biennale Teatro, the director Jerzy Grotowski staged Apocalypsis cum figuris. In the darkness, broken only by candlelight, the Apocalypse seemed like a dream. Inspired by accounts of that “poor,” courageous, and free theatre, the island’s activities were inaugurated with a performance.