The 61st Venice Biennale, set to take place from April to November 2026, is already stirring excitement within the art world. Though details surrounding the exhibition remain sparse, the announcement of Koyo Kouoh as its first African woman curator is generating immense anticipation. Kouoh, the director of the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa in Cape Town, has yet to reveal her theme for the event, but it is sure to attract attention when it is disclosed. Until then, a steady stream of updates about the artists representing their countries offers a tantalizing preview of what’s to come.
Austria: Florentina Holzinger
Austrian performance artist Florentina Holzinger has been selected to represent Austria at the 2026 Biennale, with her exhibition curated by Nora-Swantje Almes. Known for her boundary-pushing performances that blend feminist body art with the visceral tradition of Viennese Actionism, Holzinger’s works challenge both her audience’s sensibilities and the conventions of performance art. Her recent production Sancta, which reportedly caused medical emergencies among the audience due to its explicit content, violent sex scenes, and dangerous stunts, exemplifies her unflinching approach to art. Holzinger’s bold style is sure to provoke strong reactions at the Biennale.
Canada: Abbas Akhavan
Abbas Akhavan, an Iranian-Canadian artist born in 1977, will represent Canada at the 2026 Venice Biennale. Working in a wide range of media, from video and sculpture to drawing and performance, Akhavan interrogates the history of place through his site-specific installations. Having emigrated to Canada during the Iran-Iraq War, Akhavan often explores themes of migration, displacement, and cultural identity. His installation at the Canada pavilion will likely respond directly to the space in Venice’s Giardini, drawing attention to historical and contemporary narratives of migration and national identity.
Estonia: Merike Estna
Estonian artist Merike Estna will represent her country at the 2026 Biennale. Known for her innovative approach to painting, Estna expands the medium by integrating craft traditions and creating vivid, abstract works that explore politically and socially urgent themes. Estna’s practice has also been recognized for its theatricality, often creating stage sets for performance art that feature everyday objects with an artistic twist. Her installation will likely continue her exploration of social issues, blending visual art with a sense of performance.
France: Yto Barrada
French-Moroccan artist Yto Barrada has been chosen to represent France at the upcoming Biennale. Barrada’s work, which spans photography, film, and textiles, explores geopolitical issues such as immigration, post-colonialism, and climate change. Growing up in Tangier, Morocco, Barrada’s experiences have shaped her artistic focus on the transitory nature of existence, particularly for those migrating across borders. Her interdisciplinary approach allows her to address complex global concerns with both sensitivity and precision.
Iceland: Ásta Fanney Sigurðardóttir
Ásta Fanney Sigurðardóttir, an Icelandic multidisciplinary artist based in Reykjavík, will represent Iceland at the 2026 Biennale. Sigurðardóttir’s work fuses drawing, sculpture, sound, text, and moving images to create spiritual and otherworldly experiences that transcend the present moment. An award-winning poet and regular live performer, Sigurðardóttir’s practice blurs the lines between literature, theater, and visual art, inviting audiences into a deeply immersive experience.
Ireland: Isabel Nolan
Isabel Nolan, an artist from Dublin, will represent Ireland at the 2026 Venice Biennale. Nolan’s practice spans a range of media, from intimate objects to monumental structures, often drawing inspiration from history, religion, and cosmology. Her work invites viewers to reflect on humanity’s place in the universe, tackling both personal and collective concerns. Nolan’s presentation at the Biennale is poised to offer new perspectives on these timeless themes.
Lithuania: Eglé Budvytyté
Lithuanian artist Eglé Budvytyté, known for her audio-visual media work, will showcase her practice at the 2026 Biennale. Budvytyté’s work often explores the boundary between fiction and reality, blending staged and improvised scenarios. Her film Warm Blooded and Earthbound highlights the landscapes of her native Lithuania, creating a collaborative piece that engages with both local and universal themes of human experience.
Luxembourg: Aline Bouvy
Aline Bouvy, a Brussels-born artist based in Luxembourg, will represent Luxembourg at the 2026 Biennale. Known for her exploration of the body as a medium, Bouvy addresses political and sensory experiences through her work. Her practice, which spans various media, poses important questions about the body’s role in contemporary society and its relation to freedom and constraint.
New Zealand: Fiona Pardington
Fiona Pardington, a photographer from New Zealand, will represent her country at the 2026 Biennale after a hiatus in 2024. Known for her sensitive still-life compositions, Pardington’s work often delves into cultural and historical themes, particularly through the study of objects in museum collections. As a member of the Kāi Tahu, Kāti Mamoe, and Ngāti Kahungunu iwi, Pardington’s unique perspective will bring important indigenous narratives to the forefront.
Taiwan: Li Yi-Fan
Taiwan’s participation in the Venice Biennale will be marked by the work of digital media artist Li Yi-Fan, who is known for his surreal and humorous video works that often use game engines. Li’s recent project, What Is Your Favorite Primitive, parodies the ethical ambiguities of the tech industry, and his work at the Biennale will likely continue to explore the intersection of technology, identity, and society.