Comme des Garçons Showpiece Stuns at Venice Exhibition
Art, history and craftsmanship have always been the unspoken conversation partners in Venice but a new one has joined the conversation this year. A new “culture hub” in the 15th century walls of the Palazzo Pisani Moretta is the home of fashion, sculpture, glasswork and design. One of those that has been attracting attention is a Comme des Garçons Venice exhibition showpiece, not being shown as an item for sale, but rather as a piece of art all on its own.
It is NOT an exhibition of clothes that stand respectably in front of glass, for people to just peer at from a distance. Fashion is at the center of the presentation, and it doesn’t disappoint in this case, as it is placed in direct dialogue with sculpture, photography and material experimentation. It is a positive sign for the brand followers to have one of the most expressive creations of the brand, which has been beyond the runway, inside a centuries old Venetian palazzo.
Dries Van Noten’s New Chapter From Designer to Curator
After more than 40 years of being the head of his own company, Dries Van Noten’s departure from his namesake fashion company in 2024 ended a whole era for many fashion industry followers. Rather than evacuating the industry completely, Van Noten and his long-term partner, Patrick Vangheluwe, bought Palazzo Pisani Moretta, a monumental 15th century palace that was right on the Grand Canal. It did not become a residence or a small hotel for the couple, but rather a base for arts and crafts of every kind.
The first show at this new base has the poetic, pointed title. The exhibition’s theme is based on a line that Vietnam War activist Phil Ochs originally wrote, but which has been stripped of its negative content to focus exclusively on resistance (beauty) as an end in itself. The show, curated with Geert Bruloot, by Van Noten has no single narrative thread. Visitors, one by one, one room at a time, wander through the rooms of the palazzo, each of which speaks to the others in a low voice, each room and each object a different time.
Comme des Garçons’ Spring/Summer 2025 Piece A Closer Look
This is the centerpiece of the fashion section, featuring a piece from Comme des Garçons’ Spring/Summer 2025 collection, and a striking headpiece design from Julien d’Ys. It is a part of Rei Kawakubo’s long line of redefining the potential of clothing. Will not only hang from a mannequin, but as clothes. It is sculptural, composed of volume, texture and silhouette, that invites the viewer to look twice.
This piece is particularly interesting with regard to the set it’s paired with. It’s a point where the look stands of Comme des Garçons are located close to a piece designed by Christian Lacroix and which is meant to be contrasted within the space of this exhibition. There is one which is more “raw”, almost confrontational; a second, more “ornate” and less “raw” but equally evident in its structural understanding and form. It’s a combination that’s fitting to the Comme des Garçons’ recent work with Luncheon Magazine, an energy that’s been so palpable throughout the year in their SS26 pieces were shot by Paolo Roversi, the inspiration for which was to shoot clothes as more of a sculpture than just a piece of fabric.
Why This Exhibition Matters for Fashion and Art Lovers
If you’re educated about fashion and value it as an art form deserving the same attention as sculpture or fine art, then you can expect to see more than two hundred garments displayed over twenty rooms and no sense of rush. Pieces from various disciplines are not grouped by discipline but encouraging conversation with lingering opportunities in each space. Fashion is next to glasswork, photography next to furniture design and the line between “craft” and “art” is becoming blurred – but not by coincidence.
Timing of this opening is also important. The foundation arrives in Venice just ahead of the 2026 Venice Biennale, and runs a parallel dialogue to the one that is taking place in the city this year, a dialogue that is centered on the human labor, the material process, and craftsmanship in the production of creative work. For a brand as Comme des Garçons, being featured in such a site further validates what longtime customers have always known: that Comme des Garcons Clothes always held their own outside the seasonal fashion landscape. It feels as though it has been perfectly placed in this part of the world given the brand has extended its cultural reach, with its pieces celebrated not only by collectors and critics, but by some of the most recognizable faces in entertainment and music throughout the years.
Visiting Fondazione Dries Van Noten What You Need to Know
If you are thinking of visiting Venice in the lead up to the end of the exhibition, here are a few things to note. The presentation is then on display from late April until 28 October 2026, allowing for a long period of time to enjoy the work. The foundation is situated in the San Polo district, in a convenient location near the main routes of Venice by water.The foundation is located on the main routes of Venice by water, conveniently located in the San Polo district. Visiting access is somewhat different to a standard museum visit in that there is no additional charge for access, instead entry is via a Friend programme, with the membership card itself being the ticket.
The presentation demands much from the viewer, so visitors should expect to spend a substantial amount of time in each room. The experience is particularly special for Comme des Garçons fans because it’s the first time they will have the chance to see the brand’s work on an art show platform, side by side with other like-minded brands such as Christian Lacroix and contemporary artists from other fields. It’s a moment that showcases what lengths the brand’s reputation has spread, not just on the catwalk but through decades of cultural moments worn by some of the most influential celebrities in fashion and music.
Final Thoughts
The scale of this presentation and the historic context are not the only features that make this exhibition so much to talk about; it is the way in which fashion is being experienced. The installation of a Comme des Garçons piece in a centuries old Venetian palazzo, set amidst sculpture, glass, and photography, is a reminder of the history of the best fashion that always came out of a conversation with art, not out of it. If there’s anyone who has even a fleeting interest in Comme des Garçons, this is a moment of interest to watch, be it in person in Venice itself or merely by observing how the brand keeps on presenting beyond the runway.
