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Isabel Nolan's 'Dreamshook' Explores Dreams and Secularism at Ireland's Venice Biennale Pavilion

exhibition · 2026-05-15

Isabel Nolan showcases her work, 'Dreamshook,' representing Ireland at the 61st Venice Biennale, an exhibition curated by Georgina Jackson in collaboration with The Douglas Hyde. This event will take place from May 9 to November 22, 2026. Inspired by the 11th-century printer Aldo Manuzio, known for his enchiridion, Nolan creates a surreal bedroom environment using hand-tufted tapestries, vibrant sculptures, and pencil drawings. She delves into the influence of dreams and Manuzio's vision of widespread literature. In her essay 'Imagine feeling optimistic,' Nolan poses the question: can dreams disrupt reality? The exhibition challenges societal beliefs, exploring secularism's roots in a pope's conflict with Holy Roman emperors while reinterpreting religious imagery. Featured works include 'Make Haste Slowly,' 'Oh!,' 'Aldus Dreams of a Plentiful Supply of Good Books,' and 'The Dreams of Reason Produce Monsters (the Seraphim of the Canon).' Nolan believes art can offer a space for optimism amid life's chaos.

Key facts

  • Isabel Nolan represents Ireland at the 61st Venice Biennale with 'Dreamshook'.
  • The exhibition is in the Arsenale, curated by Georgina Jackson with The Douglas Hyde.
  • Runs from May 9 to November 22, 2026.
  • Inspired by 11th-century printer Aldo Manuzio, creator of the enchiridion.
  • Nolan's essay 'Imagine feeling optimistic' asks if a dream's power is to inconvenience reality.
  • The show includes hand-tufted tapestries, pencil drawings, and colorful sculptures.
  • Nolan explores the origin of secularism from an 11th-century pope's power grab.
  • She reuses religious imagery as 'theft and tribute'.
  • Works include 'Make Haste Slowly,' 'Oh!,' 'Aldus Dreams of a Plentiful Supply of Good Books,' and 'The Dreams of Reason Produce Monsters (the Seraphim of the Canon)'.
  • Nolan sees art as a space for optimism to challenge current crises.

Entities

Artists

  • Isabel Nolan
  • Aldo Manuzio
  • Aldus Manutius

Institutions

  • The Douglas Hyde
  • Kerlin Gallery
  • Pavilion of Ireland
  • La Biennale di Venezia
  • Artiglierie dell’Arsenale

Locations

  • Venice
  • Italy
  • Arsenale
  • Campo Della Tana 2169F
  • Venice 30122
  • Ireland

Sources