Courtesy of FONDAZIONE DRIES VAN NOTEN
The first major presentation by Fondazione Dries Van Noten, titled The Only True Protest Is Beauty, will open in Venice on April 25th, 2026 and run until October 4th, 2026. Taking place inside the historic halls of Palazzo Pisani Moretta, the project will bring together more than 200 works of fashion, art, design and craft in an ambitious exploration of creativity across disciplines.
Curated by Dries Van Noten with the assistance of Geert Bruloot, the presentation brings into dialogue established artists and emerging voices through sculptures, installations, textiles, jewellery, ceramics, and experimental design. Among the highlights are works by artists such as Peter Buggenhout, Steven Shearer, Misha Kahn, Ann Carrington, Kaori Kurihara, Alexander Kirkeby, Ritsue Mishima, Guillermo Santomà, Nifemi Marcus‑Bello, and Lionel Jadot, alongside creations from historic fashion houses including Christian Lacroix and Comme des Garçons. Their works collectively examine how material experimentation and craftsmanship can express cultural narratives and emotional depth.
The concept of beauty as a subtle form of protest
At the heart of the project lies a powerful concept of beauty—one that challenges conventional ideas of aesthetics. Drawing inspiration from a line by songwriter and activist Phil Ochs—“In such ugly times, the only true protest is beauty”—the presentation frames beauty not as decoration but as a catalyst for reflection and transformation.
As founders Dries Van Noten and Patrick Vangheluwe explain:
“We are interested in beauty not as an answer, but as a question. It is not an escape from reality, but a way of engaging with it. When beauty allows for ambiguity, slowness, and contradiction, when it disturbs rather than resolves, then it becomes a subtle form of protest. This Presentation is an invitation to look longer, to stay with uncertainty, and to recognize making as a deeply human act in which concept and craft converge, carrying both culture and the memory of the hands.”
A dialogue between fashion and art fills the entire Palazzo Pisani Moretta
Inside the ornate rooms of Palazzo Pisani Moretta, the presentation unfolds across the ground floor and two Piano Nobile levels, forming a sequence of 20 intuitively arranged spaces. Here, contemporary works converse with the palace’s frescoes, historic interiors, and decorative elements, creating a layered narrative shaped by instinct rather than rigid chronology.
Fashion plays a central role in this dialogue. Archival garments from major fashion houses appear alongside contemporary textile pieces, demonstrating how fashion operates as a cultural language capable of generating both poetic and critical statements. In this context, craftsmanship becomes a bridge between disciplines—connecting the traditions of Venetian artisans with experimental approaches from international artists and designers.
Beyond the presentation itself, Fondazione Dries Van Noten will host a series of talks, gatherings, and encounters throughout the six-month program, reinforcing its mission to celebrate the human dimension of making while nurturing emerging creative voices from Venice and beyond.
