Florentina Holzinger's 'Seaworld Venice' Opens at Austrian Pavilion
Florentina Holzinger's 'Seaworld Venice' is the Austrian Pavilion at the 61st Venice Biennale, titled 'In Minor Keys'. The performance-based installation features nude female performers, a suspended bell, and a urine purification system. The work includes a floating platform in the lagoon, a cargo ship with a crane, and a glass tank where a performer breathes underwater while visitors contribute urine. The pavilion, designed by Josef Hoffman in 1934, contains a pool with a jet ski, a stone pillar with arrows, and a robotic dog. The performance 'Etudes', part of a series since 2020, debuted on May 6, 2026. Holzinger, known for radical theater, makes her institutional art debut. The Biennale is marked by the death of curator Koyo Kouoh and controversies over Russian and Israeli pavilions.
Key facts
- Florentina Holzinger represents Austria at the 61st Venice Biennale.
- The pavilion is titled 'Seaworld Venice' under the Biennale theme 'In Minor Keys'.
- The performance 'Etudes' involves a suspended human bell and a floating platform in the lagoon.
- A central installation features a performer in a glass tank breathing through a tube, with a urine purification system.
- Visitors can contribute urine to the installation.
- The pavilion building was designed by Josef Hoffman in 1934.
- Holzinger's work includes a pool with a jet ski, a stone pillar with arrows, and a robotic dog.
- The Biennale's curator Koyo Kouoh died before the exhibition opened.
- The 61st Biennale has faced controversies regarding Russian and Israeli national pavilions.
- The performance 'Etudes' is part of a series Holzinger has been developing since 2020.
Entities
Artists
- Florentina Holzinger
- Koyo Kouoh
- Yoko Ono
Institutions
- Austrian Pavilion
- La Biennale di Venezia
- Juliet Art Magazine
- Venice Biennale
- Russian Pavilion
- Femen
- Pussy Riot
- Venice Art Biennale
Locations
- Venice
- Italy
- Venice Lagoon
- Giardini
- Venetian lagoon