Il padiglione dei Paesi Bassi alla Biennale di Venezia è una contestazione politica (anche della Biennale stessa)
The Dutch Pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale, titled "The Fortress" by artist Dries Verhoeven and curator Rieke Vos, transforms the modernist Rietveld Pavilion into a fortress-like enclosure. Inside, a rotating group of thirteen international performers will stage a series of performances throughout the Biennale, focusing on themes of geopolitical uncertainty, social disorder, and the search for stability in an unbalanced world. This marks the first time the Netherlands has used the Rietveld Pavilion for a performance-based project.
The project is significant because it directly critiques the Biennale itself, pointing out the contradictions of former world powers—many of which are accused of closing borders, waging war, or committing genocide—exhibiting side by side in "fraternal harmony." Verhoeven's work challenges the art world's adherence to Enlightenment ideals and hopeful futures, making a pointed and timely statement about the current geopolitical climate. It underscores how major international art events inevitably reflect and engage with global tensions.