Abbas Akhavan, born in Tehran in 1977, represents Canada at the 61st Venice Biennale 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 installation transforms the Canada Pavilion into a monumental Wardian case—a 19th-century plant transport device—converted into a greenhouse for Victoria water lilies. The lilies, native to South America and germinated at the Orto Botanico di Padova from seeds provided by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, reference their prominent display in the Crystal Palace during the 1851 Great Exhibition. The exhibition runs until November 22, 2026.
This project matters because it uses botanical history and the liminal concept of twilight to question the fluidity of national narratives and cultural symbols. By transforming a national pavilion into a living greenhouse, Akhavan blurs boundaries between nature and architecture, past and present, inviting viewers to reconsider their relationship with the natural and built worlds. The work also highlights the movement of plants across empires and geographies, connecting colonial history, environmental change, and contemporary art in a single, poetic gesture.