May 7–9, 2026
Teatrino Palazzo Grassi
Venice 3231
Italy
From Thursday, May 7 until Saturday, May 9, Palazzo Grassi—Punta della Dogana, Pinault Collection presents three consecutive days of performances and musical interventions, in dialogue with the ongoing exhibitions of artists Michael Armitage, Paulo Nazareth and Lorna Simpson. The programme transforms the spaces of Pinault Collection in Venice into venues for listening and experimentation, where sound and movement become tools for connecting with the artworks and the public.
Thursday, May 7
The Nakibembe Xylophone Troupe concert in the atrium of Palazzo Grassi
10:30am (first session) and 3pm (second session)
On the occasion of the exhibition “Michael Armitage. The Promise of Change," the famous Ugandan ensemble Nakibembe Xylophone Troupe performs in the atrium of Palazzo Grassi with the embaire, a monumental wooden xylophone played simultaneously by up to twelve musicians for an unprecedented immersion in the works and universe of Michael Armitage. Rooted in a centuries-old musical tradition from eastern Uganda, Nakibembe is among the few groups in the world sustaining this remarkable instrument. Their performances weave rhythm, voice and movement as interlocking melodies flow across the giant xylophone, accompanied by singing and percussion in joyful, hypnotic polyrhythms.
The event is organized in collaboration with the Nyege Nyege Festival.
In 2021, Nakibembe Xylophone Troupe performed for the first time in France at the Bourse de Commerce—Pinault Collection in Paris, also in collaboration with the Nyege Nyege Festival.
The event is open to visitors of Palazzo Grassi with a valid admission ticket.
Friday, May 8
The performance Depois da Encruzilhada at the Teatrino di Palazzo Grassi
10:30am (first session) and 3pm (second session)
On the occasion of “Paulo Nazareth. Algebra”, Palazzo Grassi presents the live performance Depois da Encruzilhada (After the Crossroad) in the foyer of the Teatrino.
Eleguá or Exu in Afro-Brazilian traditions is an Orixá, a deity of Candomblé associated with paths, crossroads and marketplaces. The performer removes guias, beaded necklaces worn as markers of devotion, and lays red and black beads on the ground, shaping each strand into forms that activate Exu’s domain over fertility and the crossing between worlds. In ancient African traditions beads encode cosmological order through color and arrangement, a form of algebra in their own right. The installation turns the Teatrino into a Canto dedicated to Exu, extending the spiritual geography of the exhibition beyond Punta della Dogana.
Carried out by an initiated practitioner of Candomblé. Paulo Nazareth does not travel to Europe. A documentation of the artist performing the piece in Brazil will be available.
Free admission until capacity is reached.
Saturday, May 9
The concert by esperanza spalding at Punta della Dogana
5pm (first session) and 7.00 pm (second session)
The rooms of Punta della Dogana host a special event in dialogue with the exhibition "Lorna Simpson. Third Person" acclaimed musician and placemaking artist esperanza spalding presents a new sound creation, divided into two sessions, designed specifically for this context. Her musical research meets the works of Lorna Simpson, creating an intense and enveloping listening experience that invites the public to perceive the exhibition space through new resonances.
The event is open to visitors of Punta della Dogana with a valid admission ticket. Last entry to the museum is at 6 pm. Admission to the concert is guaranteed until capacity is reached. Therefore, an admission ticket does not guarantee entry to the concert.
