Abbas Akhavan Transforms Canada Pavilion into Greenhouse at Venice Biennale
The Canada Pavilion at the 61st Venice Biennale has been reimagined by Abbas Akhavan as a greenhouse installation named 'Abbas Akhavan: Entre chien et loup.' The original wooden entrance has been replaced with glass, showcasing a pond filled with pinkish water and moss-covered stones, one adorned with an antique fur coat. Inside, specially designed frosted mirrors create distorted reflections. Three Bolivian water lilies (Victoria amazonica), relocated from Padua, allude to the 1851 Great Exhibition and colonial narratives. Born in Tehran in 1977 and currently residing in Montreal, Akhavan critiques the political utilization of art. The exhibition, curated by Kim Nguyen, receives backing from the National Gallery of Canada. A mid-career survey is set to debut at the Walker Art Center in November.
Key facts
- Abbas Akhavan's Canada Pavilion at the 61st Venice Biennale is titled 'Abbas Akhavan: Entre chien et loup'.
- The pavilion features a pond with pinkish water, frosted mirrors, mossy boulders, a vintage fur coat, and unpatinated bronze sticks.
- Three giant Bolivian water lilies (Victoria amazonica) from Kew Gardens will be transplanted into the pond, expected to peak in June.
- The water lilies reference the 1851 Great Exhibition and colonial history; the species was named after Queen Victoria.
- Akhavan was born in Tehran in 1977 and moved to Canada during the Iran-Iraq war; he studied art history in Montreal.
- Previous works include 'cast for a folly' (2019) about the looted National Museum of Iraq and 'curtain call, variations on a folly' (2021) about Palmyra.
- The exhibition is curated by Kim Nguyen, commissioned by the National Gallery of Canada, and supported by the Canada Council for the Arts.
- A mid-career survey of Akhavan's work opens at the Walker Art Center in November 2026.
Entities
Artists
- Abbas Akhavan
- Geoffrey Farmer
- Kim Nguyen
Institutions
- Canada Pavilion
- Venice Biennale
- National Gallery of Canada
- Canada Council for the Arts
- Ruth Foundation for the Arts
- Kew Gardens
- Victoria Lily House
- Chisenhale Gallery
- Walker Art Center
- CULTURED
Locations
- Venice
- Italy
- London
- United Kingdom
- Padua
- Montreal
- Canada
- Tehran
- Iran
- Baghdad
- Iraq
- Palmyra
- Syria
- Vancouver