Florentina Holzinger to represent Austria at Venice Biennale in 2026
Austrian Pavilion, 61th International Art Exhibition - La Biennale di Venezia
April – November 2026
Vienna-born choreographer and performance artist Florentina Holzinger has been selected to represent Austria at the 61st International Art Exhibition in 2026. Holzinger's contribution will be curated by Nora-Swantje Almes, curator of the live program and outreach at the Gropius Bau in Berlin. Under the working title Seaworld Venice, Holzinger is planning to continue her research into the element of water and to expand it further. Aquatic creatures from mythology and classical tales form the starting point, diving into a possible future of Venice.
Inspired by Viennese Actionism, body art, dance, cabaret and circus, Holzinger deconstructs images of femininity in her work. In her interdisciplinary approach, she dissects patriarchy and capitalism and uses poetic imagery to explore themes such as identity and physical transgression. Her work explores cultural phenomena and cultural-historical contexts and consciously plays with the constantly shifting boundaries between high culture and entertainment. The importance of the autonomous body as an instrument of action is central to Holzinger's work.
Holzinger's Harbour Étude performance, commissioned by Bergen Kunsthall and co-produced by Phileas in 2024, marked the beginning of a professional partnership between the artist and the curator. You can read more about this project here.
Phileas has supported Austria's participations at the Venice Biennale since 2015. It is a major funder of the Austrian Pavilion, and enables the commission of new artworks by Austrian-based artists for the main exhibition. We conduct ongoing historical research into Austria's participation at the Venice Biennale since 1895, and recently established the 'Friends of the Austrian Pavilion' to provide longterm backing for the pavilion and its exhibitions. We look forward to closely supporting Holzinger's visionary project for the Biennale in 2026.
