Venice International Performance Art Week

  • Home
  • Venice International Performance Art Week

Venice International Performance Art Week The live art exhibition project and residential education program in Venice since 2012

The VENICE INTERNATIONAL PERFORMANCE ART WEEK is the live art exhibition project and residential education program in Venice founded by artist duo VestAndPage. The project promotes the practices of performance art on a local, national and international scale, with events exclusively dedicated to them and a formative Learning Program presented in cooperation with international partner organisations

. Since its inception in 2012, it has become a recognised platform where dialogue and open exchange among artistic expressions and cultures can flourish. Organised in collaboration with by Studio Contemporaneo non-profit cultural association, Live Arts Cultures, We Exhibit, Venice Open Gates and the European Cultural Centre, which hosts the project in its premises in Venice. The core of its mission is, in fact, to strengthen the importance of the concept of the social sculpture of a temporary community; to offer moments of fruitful encounters and exchange to lay the foundations for future professional opportunities for artists and cultural operators; and, finally, paying attention to the creation of a broader audience for performance art. Being a gathering reunion among artists and people "who looked for the pearls in the rivers of human civilisations to came to share what they found" (Lee Wen), the project works also as a think tank for outlining conceptual visions, which de-clearly overcome imposed and external human conditioning, generating further propositive reflection on topics such as poetic and civil sovereignty, the whole and the ineffable, time, space and existence. Each of the first three editions consisted of a comprehensive exhibition showing historical performance art pioneers' works and documentation, alongside the presentation of live art performances by contemporary established and emerging international performance artists. The program was structured as such: daily morning talks by and encounters with the participating artists, associated curators and cultural operators open to the public; series of long durational performances during the afternoons; and shorter performance slots in the evenings. The ART WEEK | FRINGE section is dedicated to upcoming and emerging artists, both local and international ones. In such context, the urgency of exhibiting the works of pioneers of this art praxis, alongside the most avant-garde contemporary live proposals, reflect the project curators' VestAndPage's artistic research on the field and their choice to trace a continuity within this specific thus interdisciplinary art form from past to present. At the same time, the intent is to highlight previous valuable experiences, which grounded the art of performance in the course of art history and continue to maintain a strong sense of actuality, deserving to be remembered without declared appositive cultural intention. This is as well due for the necessity to pay tribute to art masterpieces as tools telling of social and individual awakening, which still resonate in the works of the new generations. The VENICE INTERNATIONAL PERFORMANCE ART WEEK and VestAndPage press publish limited edition post-event catalogues (hard cover) documenting the exhibition and live performances, with essays on performance art related issues by international scholars. The VENICE INTERNATIONAL PERFORMANCE ART WEEK is a free admission, nonprofit, non funded, and noncommercial cultural project, sustained by the cultural contribution of prestigious institutions, project-associated curators, and the logistics in-kind support of donors, philanthropists and Venetian enterprises such as ConCAVe and Riviera.

/ / OPEN CALL / / DigiLiveAiR 2026As part of DigiLiveAiR, EntrAxis e.V. commissions three artists or artist groups based...
16/03/2026

/ / OPEN CALL / / DigiLiveAiR 2026

As part of DigiLiveAiR, EntrAxis e.V. commissions three artists or artist groups based in a Creative Europe programme country to develop performance-for-film works exploring environmental and political landscapes, the climate emergency, the biosphere, and vulnerable ecosystems. We are looking for new works that engage body-based performance art to explore the anthropogenic impact on the environment and non-human bodies. Proposals may reflect perspectives such as deep or q***r ecology, transcorporeality, new materialist thinking, or earth emotions like solastalgia.

Selected artists will develop their works within a digital Artist-in-Residence program mentored by VestAndPage. The residency unfolds through three online sessions between May and October 2026, creating a space for co-creation, exchange, and experimentation across different artistic practices and realities.

The resulting performance-for-film works will be presented in a public exhibition during the Venice International Performance Art Week (Italy, December 2026) and become part of the PAV – Performance Art Video platform, supporting continued visibility and potential revenue through its subscription model.

Commission: €2900 for the creation of a new original performance-based film.
Eligibility: Artists or artist groups based in a Creative Europe programme country.
Deadline: April 15, 2026

Only new performance-for-camera works will be considered. Projects should be developed, produced, and edited between May and October 2026. Selected artists are familiar with green production guidelines for environmentally conscious artistic practice.

DigiLiveAiR promotes inclusion, participation, and sustainable performance practices through innovative hybrid residency formats. The project is a collaboration between PAV – Performance Art Video, EntrAxis e.V., Studio Contemporaneo, European Cultural Centre, NURT, and Untitled Tbilisi, and is co-funded by the European Union.

More info & application: https://www.entraxis.de/digiliveair

ɪᴍᴍᴇʀꜱᴇ ʏᴏᴜʀꜱᴇʟꜰ ɪɴ ᴘᴇʀꜰᴏʀᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ ᴀʀᴛ ᴀɴᴅ ᴄᴏʟʟᴀʙᴏʀᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ꜰᴏʀ ᴛᴇɴ ᴅᴀʏꜱ, ɪᴍᴘʟᴇᴍᴇɴᴛɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴘᴇʀꜰᴏʀᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ ᴘʀᴀᴄᴛɪᴄᴇ ᴜɴᴅᴇʀ ᴛʜᴇ ɢᴜɪ...
09/12/2025

ɪᴍᴍᴇʀꜱᴇ ʏᴏᴜʀꜱᴇʟꜰ ɪɴ ᴘᴇʀꜰᴏʀᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ ᴀʀᴛ ᴀɴᴅ ᴄᴏʟʟᴀʙᴏʀᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ꜰᴏʀ ᴛᴇɴ ᴅᴀʏꜱ, ɪᴍᴘʟᴇᴍᴇɴᴛɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴘᴇʀꜰᴏʀᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ ᴘʀᴀᴄᴛɪᴄᴇ ᴜɴᴅᴇʀ ᴛʜᴇ ɢᴜɪᴅᴀɴᴄᴇ ᴏꜰ ꜱɪx ᴀʀᴛɪꜱᴛꜱ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀɴᴀᴍ ᴄᴀʀᴀ ᴄᴏʟʟᴇᴄᴛɪᴠᴇ.

CONSTELLATIONS OF CRITICAL BODIES II
10-days Intensive Joint Summer Class on the Practice of Performance Art
With VestAndPage, Andrigo & Aliprandi, Sara Simeoni and Joseph Morgan Schofield
June 24 to July 3, 2026
C32 performing art work space, Forte Marghera, Venice, Italy
With a final public presentation on Thursday, July 2, 2026

Applications are now accepted on a rolling basis until March 30, 2026 (but spaces are limited and filling quickly).
The team will be live on Instagram to answer your questions on Tuesday, Feb 3, 2026, at 7:00 pm (CEST).

⚡️ For this workshop, we seek up to 15 international performance artists, radical actors, movers, sound artists, and poets interested in performance practices centred on the body.
⚡️ This includes individuals of all experience levels and abilities who wish to deepen and challenge their performance practices further and collaborate with other international artists.
⚡️ You will work under the co-mentorship of experienced facilitators, employing comprehensive methodologies to develop your performance language or research.
⚡️ We aim to give you the time, space, and tools to refine your practice, draw inspiration from collaborations, and forge new connections.

The intensive summer class takes place on campus at C32, a performing arts workspace in the heart of Forte Marghera historic park, which overlooks the western bank of the Venice lagoon. The final workshop will be publicly shared on Thursday, July 2. Its documentation will be included in the archive. The collaborative laboratory process focuses on methods and techniques derived from artistic practices that emphasise bodies, spaces, and the art of encounters: (Verena Stenke and Andrea Pagnes), Marianna Andrigo and Aldo Aliprandi, @ , and .

The SUMMER CLASSES are presented by Studio Contemporaneo, EntrAxis e.V. and .

Image: Hima Batavia/Lorenza Cini

> More info: https://veniceperformanceart.org/summer-class/constellations-of-critical-bodies-ii

Starting tomorrow and for the next 19 days, the Venice International Performance Art Week presents on this channel:🇵🇸 TH...
12/09/2025

Starting tomorrow and for the next 19 days, the Venice International Performance Art Week presents on this channel:

🇵🇸 THE GAZA MONOLOGUES 🇵🇸
An ongoing project by ASHTAR Theatre
Read by the Anam Cara Collective

Since 2010, “The Gaza Monologues” by Ashtar for Theatre Productions and Training عشتار لإنتاج وتدريب المسرح has carried the voices of Palestinian youth across the globe, documenting the brutal realities of life under occupation. In 2024, 19 new stories have been written as testimonies that reflect the devastating present of Gaza, and the urgent need for the world’s attention, action, and solidarity.

"The following newly written monologues represent the raw, heart-wrenching realities of Gaza people living through the ongoing genocide in Gaza Strip. Each narrative is a testament to the resilience, pain, and complexity of human emotions in times of genocidal war by the Israeli occupation. These voices reflect not only the struggle for survival but also moments of profound courage, love, and even joy that persist despite the loss of loved ones, homes, and the essence of what it means to feel human. They remind us that even in the darkest times, the human soul seeks light and meaning.” – ASTHAR Theatre

Every day, one monologue will be read online in solidarity by a member of the Anam Cara Collective – a globally fluid, decentralized group of artists, researchers, and cultural makers working together since 2018 in performance productions, residencies, films, and artistic initiatives.

🔴 How You Can Support (Links in Bio)
👉 Support Gaza Monologues Authors https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/support-gaza-monologues-authors-ashtar-theatre/

👉 Become a monthly contributor to ASHTAR Theatre’s mission:
https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/support-ashtar-theatre/

👉 Sponsor trauma relief interventions for children in Palestine:
https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/traumareleasepalestine/

👉 Get to know Ashtar for Theatre Productions and Training عشتار لإنتاج وتدريب المسرح and learn about their work. Link in their bio.

Our participating artists at the intensive Summer Class look forward to welcoming you this Thursday at Forte Marghera! W...
23/06/2025

Our participating artists at the intensive Summer Class look forward to welcoming you this Thursday at Forte Marghera!

With Albert Smith, Amélie Van Liefferinge, Anaïs Kedikian, Athina Kanela, Bettina Hellmrich, Chiara Guillet, Deniz Celebic, Farida Yesmin, Ginevra Napoleoni, Hima Batavia, Jess Quaid, Katya Petetskaya, lo bil, Maja Chiara Faber, Maria Isidora Vincentelli, Mark Morris, Samm Shackleton, Sylwie Barbier, Yeliz Celebic.

Una serata di apertura al pubblico per condividere gli esiti di Constellations of Critical Bodies, summer class internazionale sulla performance art condotta da VestAndPage, Andrigo & Aliprandi e Sara Simeoni nell’ambito della Venice International Performance Art Week – Educational Learning Prog...

Do you want to work with us here in the lagoon in June?>>> OPEN CALL FOR ARTISTSAs part of the Educational Learning Pr...
22/03/2025

Do you want to work with us here in the lagoon in June?
>>> OPEN CALL FOR ARTISTS

As part of the Educational Learning Programme, we present the sixth in a series of practical workshops on performance art in Venice:

CONSTELLATIONS OF CRITICAL BODIES
10-day Intensive Joint Summer Class on the Practice of Performance Art
With , Andrigo & Aliprandi and

June 17-27, 2025
C32 performing art work space , Forte Marghera, Venice, Italy
With a final public presentation on Thursday, June 26, 2025

⚡️ For this workshop, we seek up to 16 international performance artists, radical actors, movers, sound artists, and poets interested in performance practices centred on the body.

⚡️ This includes individuals of all experience levels and abilities who wish to challenge their performance practices further and collaborate with other international artists.

⚡️ You will work under the co-mentorship of experienced facilitators, employing comprehensive methodologies.

⚡️ We aim to give you the time, space, and tools to refine your practice, draw inspiration from collaborations, and forge new connections.

The intensive summer class takes place on campus at C32, a performing arts workspace in the heart of Forte Marghera historic park, which overlooks the western bank of the Venice lagoon.

More information on Link in Bio. We look forward to reading from you until March 31.

At Venice International Performance Art Week, we love "slow documentation" – letting the intensity of the ephemeral and ...
13/02/2025

At Venice International Performance Art Week, we love "slow documentation" – letting the intensity of the ephemeral and immaterial settle within our bodies, minds and spirits.
At two months of the event, we recall our memories through the attentive gaze of our photographers, Fenia Kotsopoulou, Alexander Harbaugh and Lorenza Cini. Once again, we thank every artist, person, organisation and funder involved in and supporting the opening of these gates in the lagoon last December at "Portals and Constellations".
We trust in change.

The event was presented by the non-profit associations Studio Contemporaneo, PAV Performance Art Video, Live Arts Cultures, and EntrAxis in collaboration with Future Ritual, NURT, and Untitled Tbilisi.

Realised with the support of Perform Europe as part of the “CONSTELLATION” project, along with the European Union, Arts Council England, the Adam Mickiewicz Institute, the Montana Arts Council: An Agency of State Government, the Norwegian Theatre Academy, New York University Abu Dhabi, Live Art Development Agency - LADA.

With the kind support of the European Cultural Centre, We Exhibit, and Venice Open Gates. Under the patronage of Le Città in Festa.

13/02/2025
ᴏᴘᴇɴ ᴄᴀʟʟ ꜰᴏʀ ᴀʀᴛɪꜱᴛꜱAn opportunity to immerse yourself in performance art and collaboration to implement your performan...
12/02/2025

ᴏᴘᴇɴ ᴄᴀʟʟ ꜰᴏʀ ᴀʀᴛɪꜱᴛꜱ
An opportunity to immerse yourself in performance art and collaboration to implement your performance practice for ten days under the guidance of five artists of the ᴀɴᴀᴍ ᴄᴀʀᴀ ᴄᴏʟʟᴇᴄᴛɪᴠᴇ. Applications are now accepted on a rolling basis until March 30, 2025 (but spaces are limited and expected to fill quickly.) > https://veniceperformanceart.org/edu.../critical-bodies-2025

+ + + + +

ᴄᴏɴꜱᴛᴇʟʟᴀᴛɪᴏɴꜱ ᴏꜰ ᴄʀɪᴛɪᴄᴀʟ ʙᴏᴅɪᴇꜱ
10-day Intensive Joint Summer Class on the Practice of Performance Art
With VestAndPage, Andrigo & Aliprandi and Sara Simeoni
June 17-27, 2025

C32 performing art work space, Forte Marghera, Venice, Italy
With a final public presentation on Thursday, June 26, 2025
⚡️ For this workshop, we seek up to 16 international performance artists, radical actors, movers, sound artists, and poets interested in performance practices centred on the body.
⚡️ This includes individuals of all experience levels and abilities who wish to challenge their performance practices further and collaborate with other international artists.
⚡️ You will work under the co-mentorship of experienced facilitators, employing comprehensive methodologies.
⚡️ We aim to give you the time, space, and tools to refine your practice, draw inspiration from collaborations, and forge new connections.

The intensive summer class takes place on campus at C32, a performing arts workspace in the heart of Forte Marghera historic park, which overlooks the western bank of the Venice lagoon. The final workshop will be publicly shared.
The collaborative laboratory process focuses on methods derived from artistic practices that emphasise bodies, spaces, and the art of encounters:

⚡️ utilise performance art and film to create ephemeral and immaterial works that embody ecological, philosophical, and q***r feminist thought.
⚡️ & combine dance, performance art, sound motion, philosophy, video, installations, and site-specific performances, often characterised by their complete verticality and the resulting shiver it induces.
⚡️ is a dancer, choreographer, performer, and certified Danceability teacher.
Presented by Studio Contemporaneo, EntrAxis e.V. and .

This is for those who trust in change.
It is for the overstretched global bodies searching for a home or on pilgrimage.
For those to whom the surreal is familiar, those who dance on the limits hand in hand.
For those who go to spaces of hidden beauty and scan into the flesh of dream matter —
visionary poets, artists and people pushed by an urgency.
For those who reconcile with the mystery to let things coexist.
For those who listen, who seek to express, not to impress.
For those who take risks in the name of seeking new images.
For those journeyed through visible and invisible places,
real and imaginary places.
A nomadism aiming to empower one's art and openness,
leaving subtle traces, structuring temporary autonomous zones.
Taking action because each one of us has important stories to tell,
moving through generative inquiry and collective imaginings.
And again, "Remember all, forget all."

Image © Lorenza Cini with Carla Kienz and Samanta Zanardo
“DIS-SENSUS” Venice International Performance Art Week | Summer Class 2019

"Entering through the European Cultural Centre portal, I experienced three unforgettable evenings of total dissolution i...
21/01/2025

"Entering through the European Cultural Centre portal, I experienced three unforgettable evenings of total dissolution in performance - creating and imagining desirable, alternative trajectories, suggesting what is missing in our society and humanity. I brought to Lithuania a knowledge - you step through the portal of City on Water and believe that change is possible!"

✨Thank you, Ingrida Ragelskienė, for this thorough review of the XI Venice International Performance Art Week "Portals and Constellations" on 7md - Septynios meno dienos. ✨

Future Ritual PAV VestAndPage We Exhibit LIMEN BUTOH Emilyn Claid

2024 m. gruodžio 13 d. Europos kultūros centro (ECC) Palazzo Mora kieme Venecijoje nutiko keistas ir atmintinas įvykis. Keturiolikos iš anksto užsiregistravusių žmonių grupė susiskirstė į atsitiktines poras ir trumpai pasitarę nusprendė, kuriam pirmam bus užrištos akys. &S...

Palazzo Mora now. A huge thank you to everyone who joined the 2024 .What an unforgettable experience! For four exhilara...
17/12/2024

Palazzo Mora now. A huge thank you to everyone who joined the 2024 .

What an unforgettable experience!

For four exhilarating days, we brought the spaces of Palazzo Mora to life with breathtaking live performances.

Thanks to all the artists, visitors, and collaborators for making this edition so unforgettable!

See you at the next one!
Stay tuned for upcoming content on Performance Art.

Address


Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Venice International Performance Art Week posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

  • Want your establishment to be the top-listed Arts & Entertainment?

Share