Venice Biennale 2026: Naked Bodies, Flooded Pavilions, and Uneasy Triumphs
Last week marked the opening of the 61st Venice Biennale, showcasing "In Minor Keys," a project by Koyo Kouoh featuring Kaloki Nyamai. The US pavilion, designed by Alma Allen, received backlash, while the Austrian pavilion by Florentina Holzinger, which showcased a naked woman on a jet ski, captured widespread attention. Visitors to Ei Arakawa-Nash's Japanese pavilion were invited to interact with baby sculptures. Collateral presentations included a video by Li Yi-Fan for Taiwan and Dries Verhoeven's "The Fortress" at the Dutch Pavilion. Patrizia Sandretto Re Rebaudengo inaugurated her island San Giacomo with works from Andra Ursuta and others. The event was overshadowed by the passing of Kouoh, Henrike Naumann, and Ceal Floyer, creating a somber atmosphere in many installations.
Key facts
- 61st Venice Biennale opened last week.
- Central exhibition 'In Minor Keys' conceived by late Koyo Kouoh.
- Florentina Holzinger's Austrian pavilion features a jet ski and recycled urine.
- Ei Arakawa-Nash's Japan pavilion invites visitors to hold baby sculptures.
- Dries Verhoeven's 'The Fortress' at Dutch Pavilion locks audience inside.
- Hartwig Art Foundation funded Holzinger and presented 'Minor Music at the End of the World'.
- Patrizia Sandretto Re Rebaudengo opened island San Giacomo in Paludo with new exhibition spaces.
- Ceal Floyer's posthumous work 'Til I Get It Right' shown at Berggruen Arts & Culture.
Entities
Artists
- Koyo Kouoh
- Kaloki Nyamai
- Alma Allen
- Florentina Holzinger
- Ei Arakawa-Nash
- Li Yi-Fan
- Dries Verhoeven
- Tino Sehgal
- Andra Ursuta
- Sanya Kantarovsky
- Josh Kline
- Hugh Hayden
- Matt Copson
- Saidiya Hartman
- Precious Okoyomon
- Cameron Rowland
- Arthur Jafa
- Marina Xenofontos
- Lydia Ourahmane
- Fiona Pardington
- Ceal Floyer
- Tammy Wynette
- Forrest Nash
- Felix Gonzalez-Torres
- Jana Jacuka
- Melyn Chow
- Maja Malou Lyse
- Jenny Saville
- Mel Ramos
- Leta Ramos
- Ed Ruscha
- Richard Serra
- Lubaina Himid
- Dayanita Singh
- Richard Prince
- Hanne Darboven
- Lotus L. Kang
- Abbas Akhavan
- Sung Tieu
- Henrike Naumann
- Anca Benera
- Arnold Estefán
- Bogna Burska
- Daniel Kotowski
- Goen Choi
- Hyeree Ro
- Guadalupe Rosales
- Michael Joo
- Jon Cuyson
- Chiara Camoni
- MAREUNROL
- Sumakshi Singh
- Lu Yang
- Flora Yukhnovich
- Michael Armitage
- Eglė Budvytytė
- Oscar Santillán
- Lee Ufan
- Shim Moon-Seup
- Hars Hartung
- Iván Tovar
- Bracha Lichtenberg Ettinger
- Predrag Djaković
- Oriol Vilanova
- Okwui Okpokwasili
- Beatrix Ruf
- Rob Defares
- Laurent Asscher
- Patrizia Sandretto Re Rebaudengo
- Ronnie Heyman
- Ann Temkin
Institutions
- Venice Biennale
- Artnet News
- St. Mark's Basilica
- AMA Venezia
- Dutch Pavilion
- Austrian Pavilion
- Japanese Pavilion
- American Pavilion
- Taiwan Pavilion
- Cyprus Pavilion
- New Zealand Pavilion
- German Pavilion
- British Pavilion
- Canadian Pavilion
- Romanian Pavilion
- Polish Pavilion
- South Korean Pavilion
- Philippines Pavilion
- Latvian Pavilion
- Indian Pavilion
- Lithuanian Pavilion
- Ecuadorian Pavilion
- Serbian Pavilion
- Spanish Pavilion
- Italian Pavilion
- Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo
- Hartwig Art Foundation
- Berggruen Arts & Culture
- Nicoletta Fiorucci Foundation
- Prada Foundation
- Dia Art Foundation
- Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
- Ca' Pesaro
- Palazzo Bragadin Carabba
- Palazzo Grassi
- Palazzo Diedo
- Palazzo delle Prigioni
- Istituto Veneto di Scienze, Lettere ed Arti
- Archivio di Stato
- Espace Louis Vuitton
- Victoria Miro
- San Marco Art Centre
- Ca' Faccanon
- Fondazione Querini Stampalia
- Ex Istituto Idrografico
- Museo Storico Navale di Venezia
- Hotel Metropole
- Teatro Goldoni
- JW Marriott
- Bvlgari
- Contemporary Art Daily
- Documenta 13
Locations
- Venice
- Italy
- St. Mark's Basilica
- Giardini
- Arsenale
- Dutch Pavilion
- Austrian Pavilion
- Japanese Pavilion
- American Pavilion
- Taiwan Pavilion
- Cyprus Pavilion
- New Zealand Pavilion
- German Pavilion
- British Pavilion
- Canadian Pavilion
- Romanian Pavilion
- Polish Pavilion
- South Korean Pavilion
- Philippines Pavilion
- Latvian Pavilion
- Indian Pavilion
- Lithuanian Pavilion
- Ecuadorian Pavilion
- Serbian Pavilion
- Spanish Pavilion
- Italian Pavilion
- AMA Venezia
- Palazzo delle Prigioni
- Palazzo Bragadin Carabba
- Palazzo Grassi
- Palazzo Diedo
- Ca' Pesaro
- Istituto Veneto di Scienze, Lettere ed Arti
- Archivio di Stato
- Espace Louis Vuitton
- Victoria Miro
- San Marco Art Centre
- Ca' Faccanon
- Fondazione Querini Stampalia
- Ex Istituto Idrografico
- Museo Storico Navale di Venezia
- Hotel Metropole
- Teatro Goldoni
- San Giacomo in Paludo
- Castello neighborhood
- Lagoon
- Kassel
- Germany
- Amsterdam
- Netherlands
- New York
- United States