Turkish artist Nilbar Güneş will represent Türkiye at the 61st Venice Biennale (May 9–November 22, 2026) with her exhibition "A Kiss on the Eyes" in the Arsenale's Türkiye Pavilion. Güneş, born in Istanbul in 1977 and educated at Marmara University, the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, and the University of Applied Arts, works across photography, film, painting, performance, and mixed media. Her practice draws on personal biography to address societal issues, and she has shown internationally at venues including Osmos in New York and Vortic Art in London.
The exhibition is framed as a defiant critique of imperialist and colonialist pressures in the global art world. Güneş expresses exhaustion with having to explain her culture to Western audiences and refuses to translate her work for those lacking empathy. She also criticizes the silence of major art institutions on humanitarian crises, particularly the bombing of hospitals and children in Palestine. Her stance underscores broader tensions between national representation and personal integrity at major biennials.