Pavel Brǎila to Represent Moldova at 2026 Venice Biennale with Flying Carpet Installation

Pavel Brǎila will represent Moldova at the 61st Venice Biennale, running from 9 May to 22 November 2026, with his installation at the Santa Veneranda pavilion. The work, titled 'Echoes of Harmony and Silent Cries' (2026), evolved from a project about war into a sound installation featuring flying carpets. Brǎila describes the piece as a response to ongoing global conflicts, including Ukraine, Israel, Gaza, and others, but emphasizes it is not about nationalism. He views the pavilion as a platform to scream for peace and to represent Moldova as a small country demanding respect. The installation incorporates carpets from Moldova and elsewhere, aiming to create a new narrative of a 'dream of the one thousand and second night.' Brǎila cites his mentor Mark Verlan as Moldova's most important artist, alongside Valentina Rusu Ciobanu, Lazăr Dubinovschi, and Ghenadie Popescu. He first visited the Biennale in 2001 as a student at Jan van Eyck Academie, and looks forward to reuniting with fellow alumni Aline Bouvy (representing Luxembourg), Robert Garnett, and Manuel Reader (designing the Ecuador Pavilion) in Chioggia. Brǎila notes that the Biennale remains important as a platform to represent his country's voice, though he believes art cannot change the world but can serve as a compass for happiness and direction.