Abbas Akhavan has transformed the Canadian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale into a greenhouse-like installation titled "Abbas Akhavan: Entre chien et loup." The pavilion's wooden doorway has been replaced with glass, revealing a pond with pinkish water illuminated by sunlight and LED grow-lamps. Visitors encounter mossy boulders, a vintage fur coat sprayed with water, sharpened bronze sticks, and custom frosted mirrors that blur the architecture. The centerpiece will be three giant Bolivian water lilies, grown from seeds sent from Kew Gardens to Padua, which will gradually take over the pond over the summer. The exhibition is curated by Kim Nguyen, commissioned by the National Gallery of Canada, and supported by the Canada Council for the Arts.
This installation matters because it challenges the traditional role of the national pavilion as a controlled exhibition space, instead embracing nature's unpredictability and the artist's role as a custodian rather than a subject. By referencing the 1851 Great Exhibition and the colonial history of plant migration, Akhavan connects the Biennale to broader themes of empire, trade, and ecological stewardship. The work also critiques digital distraction, using frosted mirrors to prevent selfies and encourage genuine reflection, reinforcing art's power to create space for new thoughts in an age dominated by smartphones.