Pinault Collection – Punta della Dogana

The current configuration of the warehouses of the Dogana da Mar – originally a maritime customs complex designed by architect Giuseppe Benoni – was completed in 1682 and, as a gateway to the city for sea travel, they are located near Baldassarre Longhena’s Basilica della Salute. After being decommissioned in the 1980s, Punta della Dogana fell into a state of disrepair until the City of Venice launched a competition for it to be transformed into a contemporary art centre. The Pinault Collection was awarded the contract in 2007, and François Pinault decided to entrust the project to Tadao Ando, who oversaw the reclamation of the previously-defunct spaces.

Since 2009, Punta della Dogana has been a place where visitors can enjoy a combined experience of contemporary art, historical architecture and the city of Venice, which can be admired through the vast windows. Thanks to its sizeable spaces – extensive enough to house to even the most monumental of works exploring the themes represented in the Pinault Collection – it plays host to an exceptional programme of exhibitions boasting shows, particularly collective ones, that are nothing short of exceptional. Such as “Mapping the Studio: Artists from the François Pinault Collection” (2009 to 2011), “In Praise of Doubt” (2011 to 2013), “Accrochage” (2016) and “Luogo e segni” (2019), brought together pieces by artists such as Nan Goldin, David Hammons, Sol LeWitt, Takashi Murakami and Philippe Parreno under one roof at Punta della Dogana.