The Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia has selected the project "The Unfinished Business of Living Together" to represent Switzerland at the 2026 Venice Biennale. Conceived by Gianmaria Andreetta, Luca Beeler, and artist Nina Wakeford, the exhibition utilizes archival television broadcasts from the 1970s and 80s to explore the history of LGBTQ+ visibility and social coexistence. The installation will feature a spatialized video production and garden interventions that reactivate historical media moments to examine how social norms dictate public discourse.
This selection highlights a growing institutional interest in archival activism and the intersection of media history with contemporary social justice. By focusing on specific broadcasts that catalyzed Swiss lesbian and gay alliances, the pavilion aims to transform the archive from a static record into a site of active conflict and participation. The project underscores the Venice Biennale's role as a platform for addressing unresolved tensions in collective living and the persistent systemic exclusions that shape modern society.