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venice biennale 2026 national pavilions

The 61st Venice Biennale is taking shape as national pavilions announce their participants and curatorial themes for the 2026 edition. Russia has confirmed its return to the Giardini with a multidisciplinary exhibition titled “The Tree is Rooted in the Sky,” following its 2022 withdrawal and the 2024 loan of its pavilion to Bolivia. The upcoming edition, themed “In Minor Keys,” will proceed under the vision of the late curator Koyo Kouoh, who passed away in 2025 after becoming the first African woman appointed to helm the prestigious event.

Venice Biennale 2026: all the national pavilions, artists and curators so far

The 61st edition of the Venice Biennale, the world's oldest and most prestigious art biennial, will open on 9 May 2026 and run through 22 November. The main exhibition follows the curatorial plan of the late Koyo Kouoh, while national pavilions have been announcing their participating artists and organizers. The article provides a comprehensive list of confirmed pavilions so far, including artists such as Genti Korini (Albania), Matías Duville (Argentina), Khaled Sabsabi (Australia), Florentina Holzinger (Austria), Faig Ahmed (Azerbaijan), and many others, with details on venues and organizers.

2026 Venice Biennale pavilions: your go-to list [Updated]

ArtReview has compiled a running list of national pavilions for the 61st Venice Biennale, running from 9 May to 22 November 2026. The Biennale was set to be curated by Koyo Kouoh, who died on 10 May 2025. Recent announcements include Haitham Al Busafi representing Oman, Genti Korini representing Albania with a three-channel video installation titled 'A Place in The Sun (still)', and Matías Duville representing Argentina with an interactive salt-and-charcoal installation. The Australia Pavilion will feature artist Khaled Sabsabi and curator Michael Dagostino, who were initially dropped due to controversy over Sabsabi's 2007 film 'You' but later reinstated. Florentina Holzinger will represent Austria with a water-themed performance.

Australian artist Khaled Sabsabi reveals details of presentations in the Australia Pavilion and in the International Exhibition In Minor Keys at Biennale Arte 2026 – News Hub

Australian artist Khaled Sabsabi will present two major installations at the 2026 Venice Biennale. At the Australia Pavilion, he unveils "conference of one’s self," an immersive multisensory work featuring eight monumental canvas paintings, video projections, and a soundscape inspired by a 12th-century Sufi allegory. Simultaneously, he becomes the first Australian artist to also exhibit in the International Exhibition, titled "In Minor Keys" curated by Koyo Kouoh, with a second installation called "khalil" at the Arsenale. Both works explore spirituality, migration, and shared humanity through a framework of Sufi thought.

Khaled Sabsabi Unveils Biennale Arte 2026 Showcase

Khaled Sabsabi will represent Australia at the 61st Venice Biennale in 2026 with two major installations. At the Australia Pavilion, he presents "conference of one's self," an immersive multisensory installation featuring eight monumental canvas paintings, suspended video projectors, and an analogue soundscape, all inspired by the 12th-century Sufi allegory "The Conference of the Birds." In a historic first for an Australian artist, Sabsabi also debuts a second work, "khalil," in the Biennale's main exhibition "In Minor Keys" curated by Koyo Kouoh at the Arsenale. Both works explore spirituality, migration, and shared humanity through a Sufi philosophical framework.

Venice Biennale 2026: all the national pavilions, artists and curators so far

The 61st Venice Biennale has begun announcing its lineup for the 2026 edition, which is scheduled to run from May 9 to November 22. While the main exhibition will follow a curatorial framework established by the late Koyo Kouoh, various nations have started naming the artists and curators who will represent them in the Giardini, the Arsenale, and satellite venues across the city.

Khaled Sabsabi is finally at the Venice Biennale: ‘Being here is already a win’

Khaled Sabsabi has opened his exhibition 'conference of one’s self' at the Australian Pavilion of the 61st Venice Biennale, alongside a second installation 'Khalil' in the Arsenale. This follows a tumultuous period in which Creative Australia rescinded his appointment as Australia’s representative in February 2025, sparking widespread backlash from the art community. After being reappointed in July 2025, Sabsabi presents two monumental multimedia works inspired by Sufi practice, created in Bangkok and described as 'one body with two limbs'.

Artist appointed, axed then reinstated from Venice Biennale triumphs

Khaled Sabsabi, a Lebanese Australian artist, presents his installation 'conference of one's self' at the Australia Pavilion of the Venice Biennale, alongside a second work 'khalil' in the main exhibition 'In Minor Keys' curated by Koyo Kouoh. His participation follows a tumultuous period in February 2025 when he was initially appointed to represent Australia, then controversially sacked by Creative Australia's board after a political dispute triggered by Senator Claire Chandler's comments, and later reinstated. Sabsabi is now one of only three artists in the Biennale's 131-year history to show in both a national pavilion and the main exhibition.

Watch: Khaled Sabsabi and Michael Dagostino in Conversation

Artist Khaled Sabsabi and curator Michael Dagostino discuss their project 'conference of one’s self' for the Australia Pavilion at the 61st Venice Biennale. Sabsabi explains how the work draws on the twelfth-century Sufi poem 'The Conference of the Birds' by Farīd al-Dīn ʿAṭṭār, mapping its seven spiritual valleys and adding an eighth level of 'wholeness and completeness'. He also reflects on his childhood in Lebanon, migration to Australia, and how his return to Lebanon in 2002 reconnected him with his Sufi lineage, which informs his artistic practice focused on memory, displacement, and social justice.

Khaled Sabsabi—who had his Australia Pavilion cancelled and reinstated—will also exhibit in main Venice Biennale show

Khaled Sabsabi has achieved a historic milestone as the first Australian artist to be selected for both a national pavilion and the Venice Biennale’s main international exhibition. After a tumultuous period in which his appointment to the Australia Pavilion was cancelled and then reinstated following political controversy, Sabsabi will now present his work 'conference of one’s self' in the Giardini alongside a separate contribution to the central show. Both projects are deeply rooted in Tasawwuf (Sufism) and themes of spiritual enlightenment and communal unity.

After the firestorm: First look at Australian artist’s Venice Biennale works

Australia has opened its pavilion at the Venice Biennale featuring artist Khaled Sabsabi's multimedia installation "conference of one's self," a vivid work inspired by a 12th-century Sufi poem. The exhibition follows a political firestorm: Creative Australia initially selected Sabsabi and curator Michael Dagostini to represent the country, then rescinded the invitation after controversy over a 2007 video featuring Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. The decision was later reinstated, and Sabsabi also has a companion work in the main Biennale exhibition curated by Koyo Kouoh. The pavilion is funded by the federal government and private donors including Simon Mordant and the Turnbull Foundation.