The legendary Venetian jewellery house Codognato will be the sole jeweller featured in the inaugural exhibition of the Fondazione Dries Van Noten. This collaboration unites two masters of their respective crafts in celebrating beauty as the ultimate form of artistic rebellion.
A Meeting of Creative Minds
The exhibition “The only true protest is beauty” opens from 25 April 2026 to 4 October 2026 at the historic Palazzo Pisani Moretta, overlooking Venice’s Canal Grande. Curated by Dries Van Noten himself alongside Geert Bruloot, this presentation brings together fashion, jewellery, art, design, photography, glass, ceramics, and material experimentation under one roof.
Van Noten’s selection of Codognato as the exclusive jewellery representative speaks to the house’s unique position within the rarefied world of artistic jewellery, where symbolism meets supreme craftsmanship.
The Palazzo Setting
The exhibition unfolds across twenty intuitively composed rooms spanning the ground floor and the first and second Piano Nobile levels of Palazzo Pisani Moretta. More than 200 works enter into conversation with the palazzo’s architecture, history, and decorative language. The venue’s storied walls have witnessed centuries of Venetian cultural evolution.
The curators describe the arrangement as “a constellation of encounters,” where established talents meet emerging creators in an ever-shifting dialogue.
Fifteen Masterpieces
Codognato presents fifteen pieces, each personally chosen by Dries Van Noten. Some belong to long-standing collectors and clients of the house, while others were specially created for this exhibition. Seven of the presented pieces are available for purchase.
The selection demonstrates Codognato’s distinctive aesthetic philosophy, rooted in tradition yet open to contemporary expression. Several creations represent revivals of iconic designs crafted by previous generations of artisans, whilst others introduce entirely new interpretations of the house’s symbolic style.
The Memento Mori Dialogue
In the first salon on the first Piano Nobile floor, visitors encounter a striking juxtaposition. Beneath Guarana’s ceiling depicting “The Victory of Light over Darkness”, Steven Shearer’s contemporary photographs of sleeping subjects enter into dramatic conversation with Codognato’s Memento Mori-inspired jewellery masterpieces, alongside statement couture pieces by Christian Lacroix and Comme des Garçons.
This arrangement demonstrates the exhibition’s sophisticated approach to curation, where historical references, contemporary art, and luxury craftsmanship create new meanings through proximity. The juxtaposition echoes the kind of cultural dialogue seen in historic art exhibitions that bridge centuries of artistic expression.
Venetian Heritage Recognised
As Mario and Cristina Codognato express: “As Venetians, we are thrilled that Dries Van Noten, one of the greatest and most innovative designers and creative people of our time, has chosen Venice for its new foundation. It represents an extraordinary addition to the culture offer and heritage of the city. And as Venetians we are thrilled and deeply honored to have been chosen to represent the millenary artisanal tradition of Venice in Dries’ foundation inaugural exhibition.”
From 1866 to Today
The story begins in 1866, when Simeone Codognato opened his first workshop near Piazza San Marco. His son recognised the growing fascination with jewellery unearthed in contemporary archaeological excavations in Etruria, inspiring a new approach to goldsmithing. This archaeological influence became foundational to the house’s aesthetic DNA.
Attilio Codognato elevated the house to international prominence through his impeccable taste and passionate enthusiasm for contemporary painting. Beginning his management of Casa Codognato in 1958, Attilio transformed the family business into a cultural institution. His practice of displaying whatever captured his imagination in the shop windows became legendary, turning the boutique into an impromptu gallery space.
A Distinguished Clientele
The house’s client roster reads like a catalogue of twentieth and twenty-first century cultural royalty. Royal families, alongside celebrities such as Maria Callas, Coco Chanel, Elizabeth Taylor, Elton John, Tilda Swinton, and more recently A$AP Rocky, have all found themselves drawn to Codognato’s unique vision.
This diverse and distinguished clientele speaks to the house’s ability to create pieces that transcend temporal and cultural boundaries.
The Fondazione’s Vision
Founded by Dries Van Noten and Patrick Vangheluwe, the Fondazione Dries Van Noten represents an ambitious vision of cultural exchange and creative dialogue. The foundation’s mission statement reveals its understanding of craftsmanship’s role in contemporary culture: “Here, ideas take form through material, gestures, and the patient passage of time, as mind and hands meet in the act of creation.”
The Fondazione inhabits what its founders describe as “a space of transition, carrying traditions forward while continually reinventing them.” This philosophy aligns perfectly with Codognato’s own approach to jewellery creation.
Exhibition Highlights
Among the highlights is the coffin necklace with enamelled skeleton holding a sunflower, crafted in 18-karat yellow gold and silver, adorned with diamonds, a garnet, and exquisite enamel work. This piece transforms symbols of mortality into objects of transcendent beauty.
The “Cinque Morti” ring from 2026 represents the house’s contemporary interpretation of archival designs, executed in 18-karat yellow gold with diamonds and enamel. Particularly noteworthy is the collaborative piece created with Giberto Venezia: the Clessidra from 2025, which combines Murano glass with 18-karat yellow gold and silver, iolites, and green tourmalines.
Cultural Resistance Through Beauty
The exhibition positions luxury craftsmanship not as mere commercial enterprise but as a form of cultural resistance. A way of asserting human creativity and beauty against an increasingly homogenised world. Codognato’s pieces, with their profound symbolic content and exquisite execution, serve as ambassadors for this philosophy.
The exhibition promises to be more than a display of beautiful objects. It’s a manifesto for the power of beauty to challenge, inspire, and transform. Through their participation, Codognato brings over 150 years of Venetian craftsmanship tradition into dialogue with contemporary global creativity, much like how auction houses bridge historical masterpieces with modern collectors seeking transcendent artistic experiences.
