Abbas Akhavan, born in Tehran in 1977, will represent Canada at the 61st Venice Biennale in 2026 with an exhibition titled "Entre chien et loup" (Between Dog and Wolf). Commissioned by the National Gallery of Canada and curated by Kim Nguyen, the Canada Pavilion is transformed into a monumental Wardian case—a 19th-century plant transport device—serving as a greenhouse for Victoria water lilies. The seeds were germinated at the Orto Botanico di Padova in collaboration with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and the installation will be on view until November 22, 2026.
The exhibition matters because it uses botanical history and the liminal metaphor of twilight to question the stability of national narratives, cultural symbols, and human relationships with the natural world. By referencing the Victoria water lily's role as a Victorian-era emblem and its ancient lineage, Akhavan highlights how meanings shift across time, geography, and power structures, offering a poetic critique of identity and ecology within the prestigious context of the Venice Biennale.