Visitors Flock to Experience ‘Sownd’ in Wales and Venice

The exhibition 'Sownd' by Manon Awst and Dylan Huw was presented from Saturday 9 May to Sunday 22 November 2026. The event was free to visit and took place at the Instituto Santa Maria della Pietà in Castello, Venice. This monumental complex, built in the fourteenth century, is located adjacent to Riva degli Schiavoni and within accessible walking distance of the Biennale Giardini and Arsenale sites.

The presentation at La Pietà marked the first time the venue hosted this project. The exhibition was curated by Steffan Jones-Hughes from Oriel Davies, with Catherine Spring of Oriel Myrddin serving as Exhibition Project Director. Both Jones-Hughes and Spring acted as Co-Creative Directors for the project.

'Sownd' was conceived as a collaborative sculptural environment that navigated the materialities of language and landscape. The installation was designed as one continuous piece, combining organic materials, found objects, texts, and sonic and architectural interventions. These elements were brought together to respond to the historic context of the Instituto Santa Maria della Pietà.

The title 'Sownd' is a Cymraeg/Welsh word that means both “stuck” and “foundationally sound.” This dual meaning encapsulates the project’s exploration of tension and resilience. The artists drew on research in Welsh peatlands, which are described as sticky and unstable environments that both conceal and reveal vast scales of material history.

Over the six months leading up to and during the exhibition, 'Sownd' provoked conversations around landscape and identity in both Venice and Wales. This was achieved through the Sownd [ar safle] site-specific live art events, which were supported by Art Fund and the Colwinston Charitable Trust.

Interest in 'Sownd' was strong in Wales, with the Sownd [ar safle] experiences fully booked. Additional opportunities to engage with the work brought audiences to Welsh galleries, further expanding the project’s reach.

The project also served as a springboard for exhibiting work by 19 early career artists who acted as invigilators during the Biennale. On Saturday 21st, the artists were present in the space to share their work, and a reading by Becca Voelcker took place at 11am to mark the Venice closing of this multi-platform project.