The 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia will be curated by Koyo Kouoh, Chief Curator of Zeitz MOCAA. The national pavilions will align with the main exhibition’s curatorial concept, to be unveiled in 2025. Here is a preliminary list of confirmed pavilions for the 2026 Venice Biennale.
Taiwan
Emerging artist Li Yi-Fan will represent Taiwan. Known for his innovative works, the artist gained recognition after winning the 2024 Tung Chung Prize. Although his latest plans for the pavilion remain secret, Li’s exploration of critical themes, exemplified by his film What Is Your Favorite Primitive, promises a thought-provoking project.
Luxembourg
Aline Bouvy will represent Luxembourg, with curator Stilbé Schroeder. Her work explores the relationship between body and space, employing various mediums, including sculpture, painting, and photography.
Lithuania
Eglė Budvytytė, together with curator Louise O’Kelly, will represent Lithuania. Based in Amsterdam and Vilnius, Budvytytė is renowned for her video art and performances. Her project features a multichannel film with sound and spatial components, offering a unique perspective shaped by her Lithuanian heritage.
Ireland
Isabel Nolan will represent Ireland, alongside curators Georgia Jackson and Douglas Hyde. Nolan showcases the forefront of Irish visual arts practice through painting, sculpture, textiles, and photography, often exploring themes of cosmology, religion, and history.
Iceland
Ásta Fanney Sigurðardóttir will represent Iceland. Her videos, installations, and sculptures explore the spiritual and esoteric aspects of human experience, reflecting on how intuition might reconnect people in a time of growing technological separation.
France
French artist of Moroccan heritage Yto Barrada will represent France. She aims to approach utopia by bringing together diverse artistic and historical—or overlooked—social communities through sculptures and artworks that explore themes of mobility and politics. Moroccan architecture often serves as inspiration for her minimalist style.
Estonia
Merike Estna will represent Estonia. She is known for her efforts to expand the traditional oil-on-canvas medium by incorporating craft techniques and sculptural elements with repeated motifs.
Canada
Abbas Akhavan will represent Canada, building on the recognition he gained after receiving several accolades at the Toronto Biennial of Art. His practice explores the intersection of place, history, and geopolitics, examining Canadian site-specific national histories through a mix of installations, drawings, and performance art.
Austria
Florentina Holzinger, a choreographer, will represent Austria. Holzinger is known for her sexually charged and intense performances. Her 2024 opera Sancta, which featured controversial elements such as roller-skating nuns and a lesbian priest, drew significant criticism.
