Study in Venice
Posted On 28-07-2025
Johanna is an Architecture student from Trieste who decided to participate in the Arts in Venice Summer School. Living a short train ride away from Venice, she decided to commute during the two weeks of the programm thanks to her good organisation skills and a little bit of willpower. Here is her experience.
Hello Johanna, could you please introduce yourself?
I'm Johanna Kerschbaumer, I study Architecture at the University of Trieste. I was born and raised nearby Trieste,
and I belong to the Slovenian minority (on my mother's side) and the German minority (on my father's side).
Trieste and Venice are quite close to each other: this is probably the reason you decided to commute during two weeks. How was it?
Well, commuting wasn't always easy, but it was convenient for me. Personally, commuting was fine because I was
mainly interested in exploring the cultural and artistic centres of the city, but I realize that for those students who were keen to have a complete and social experience together with their classmates, it would be better to live in Venice or Mestre. In any case, I wouldn't recommend it to someone who has to take more than one train to get to Venice, because delays and/or unexpected events might happen.
What did impress you about the Summer School programme?
I was impressed by the eclectic nature of the programme's content. It ranged from cinema to music, from archaeology to social issues deeply connected to the city. As a person who lives close to Venice (but not too close, after all), I was interested in discovering the city from different points of view, in order to understand it beyond the mere facade of a tourist/occasional visitor.
Tell us about a lecture you particularly enjoyed.
I was very impressed by the lecture on the history of the organ and the various organs in Venice. We spent the whole day visiting six different churches, where we listened to the organs and appreciated the beauty of the churches. We had the chance to talk to some students who study organ in Venice about their experience in the city. I had no expectations, nevertheless, it struck me because of its unique perspective and because I learnt about a world that was totally unknown to me.
Besides the activities and seminars of the Summer School, you used your freetime to visit Venice on your own.
Yes, I did. I took advantage of lunch breaks to visit some of the city's main cultural and artistic centres. I really
enjoyed the exhibitions at the Pinault Foundation, especially the one at Palazzo Grassi by Tatiana Trouvé (as well as the one by Thomas Schütte at Punta della Dogana). Then, as an architecture student, I visited Carlo Scarpa's works, from the Querini Stampalia Foundation to the portal located at Iuav University main entrance. Then I also visited some other lesser-known foundations such as Bevilacqua La Masa and the Punch space.
Overall, I had a great time. I am happy that I was able to explore the city on my own according to my interests. I think it was a good combination with the summer school programme. In addition, the summer school organisers gave me lots of useful advice on how to enjoy the city and my interests.
Do you feel that your expectations of the Summer School were met?
Absolutely. I am very happy with my experience, I learned a lot even though it was not the first time in town for me.
Is there anything about these two weeks that you will always remember?
Letting myself go with everything Venice had to offer and seizing every moment and opportunity to discover
something new.