The Ear is the Eye of the Soul

Reethaus, Köpenicker Chaussee 3a, 10317, Berlin

September 11, 2026 – September 13, 2026

Reethaus presents “The Ear is the Eye of the Soul,” music originally composed for the Holy See Pavilion at the 61st Venice Biennale. Commissioned by the Vatican Dicastery for Culture and Education, the project is curated by Hans Ulrich Obrist and Ben Vickers, with artistic direction by Soundwalk Collective. In Venice’s “Giardino Mistico,” the work unfolds as a sound prayer inspired by the life and work of Hildegard of Bingen—abbess, poet, healer and composer whose thought united cosmology, music and medicine. Contributions by Meredith Monk, Kali Malone, FKA twigs, Carminho and Terry Riley form a contemplative whole. To mark the vinyl release by Bella Union and Heni, in collaboration with the Analog Foundation, Reethaus transforms the Giardino Mistico experience into a synchronous collective listening experience in Berlin. For Hildegard, sound was a form of knowledge; here, listening becomes a central act and shared hearing a way to communicate inner experience.