Austrian and Belgian Pavilions Deliver Bold Performances at Venice Biennale

At the 2026 Venice Biennale, amid the death of artistic director Koyo Kouoh in May 2025, canceled pavilions, boycotts protesting Israel and Russia, and the jury's resignation, two national pavilions in the Giardini stand out for their experimental performances. Florentina Holzinger's 'SEA WORLD VENICE' at the Austrian pavilion transforms the space into a flooded ecological theme park, featuring performers suspended from a weathervane, a woman submerged in filtered urine, and a jet-ski circling inside. Miet Warlop's 'IT NEVER SSST' at the Belgian pavilion, the country's first performance-focused pavilion, turns the space into a construction site/sports arena with performers hurling plaster tiles. A highlight is Alice Marchiori's solo, where she struggles into a plaster miniskirt, climbs bleachers, and rolls down as the skirt crumbles. Both presentations run through November 22, curated by Caroline Dumalin (Belgium) and Nora-Swantje Almes (Austria).