SG · International contemporary art platformThe 70th International Contemporary Music Festival of La Biennale di Venezia, directed by Caterina Barbieri, has announced the addition of two new events to its programme. These events, titled Musica Libera, are scheduled to take place on 18 and 24 October within the courtyard of the Casa di reclusione femminile Venezia Giudecca, the women’s prison in Venice. The performances will be held in the central area of the historic church and former female monastery of the Convertite, which forms the core of the prison complex.
Musica Libera will present the results of a workshop that involved the women of the prison, young musicians from Biennale College Musica, and their mentors. This collaborative process brought together participants from different backgrounds to engage in artistic creation within the unique setting of the prison. The initiative is part of the broader cultural programming of the festival, which seeks to highlight the therapeutic power of music.
The project is designed to view artistic creation not as a passive object for consumption, but as a potential channel for catharsis and collective transformation. The organisers emphasise that Musica Libera aims to foster a sense of community and shared expression among its participants. The approach taken in these sessions aligns with the festival’s theme, which is dedicated to childhood and intuition.
A key principle of Musica Libera is the creation of spaces for authentic creative freedom. The sessions were structured to avoid the pressure of achieving predetermined results imposed from above. Instead, they encouraged participants to explore their own intuition and creativity in a supportive environment.
The essence of Musica Libera lies in its choral nature, which is based on listening, vulnerability, expressive urgency, and co-creation. Rather than following a fixed compositional method, the project prioritises collective engagement and the sharing of ideas. This approach is intended to allow for genuine artistic exploration and personal growth among all involved.
Musica Libera is also connected to Rinasco con l’Arte, another initiative promoted by La Biennale di Venezia. Rinasco con l’Arte is aimed at strengthening relationships with penitentiary institutions, and Musica Libera continues this effort by involving the women’s prison in Venice Giudecca in its programming.
The organisation of Musica Libera has involved collaboration with the Casa di reclusione femminile Venezia Giudecca, the Department of Penitentiary Administration, and the regional penitentiary administration offices of Veneto, Friuli Venezia Giulia, and Trentino-Alto Adige. Members of the public who wish to attend one of the Musica Libera performances will need to register online via the Biennale di Venezia website, with further details about the registration process to be announced at a later date.
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