ArtReview published a questionnaire response from Bugarin + Castle, the artist duo representing Scotland at the 61st Venice Biennale (2026). Their exhibition, titled "Shame Parade" and curated by Mount Stuart Trust, explores charivari—medieval public shaming rituals involving sound, costume, and cross-dressing. The work draws on the artists' research into how noise and music have been used as tools of control, with particular attention to the Filipino legal definition of charivari as a punishable public disturbance. The exhibition includes sculpture, print, moving image, and a musical score created with Manila-based band Kalye Teresa, and is housed at the Olivolo, Castello pavilion.
This article matters because it offers an early, in-depth look at one of the national pavilions for the 2026 Venice Biennale, one of the most prestigious events in the contemporary art world. Bugarin + Castle's focus on shame, sound, and minority perspectives—especially in relation to trans rights and colonial histories—positions their pavilion as a politically engaged and conceptually rich contribution. The interview format, part of ArtReview's daily series leading up to the Biennale, provides insight into how artists are responding to curator Koyo Kouoh's theme "In Minor Keys," making this a key text for understanding the Biennale's curatorial direction.