Florentina Holzinger: Austria's artistic departure for Venice 2026

Florentina Holzinger: Austria's artistic departure for Venice 2026

In an exciting announcement, Florentina Holzinger was selected as the artist, who will design the Austria Pavilion at the 61st Kunstbiennale in Venice 2026. This decision was announced by minister of Culture Werner Kogler and a specialist jury, who selected the innovative project "Seaworld Venice" by Holzinger and the curator Nora-Swantje Almes from 54 submissions. Holzinger has just received the award as the most influential artist in 2024 from the art magazine Monopol . At a press conference, she explained that it was a great responsibility for her to represent Austria in a politically tense environment and that she wanted to address important social issues with her art.

a unique concept with water and interaction

The concept that Holzinger follows will include a combination of dance, theater and performance art and both an installation in the pavilion and interactive elements in the lagoon that give visitors the opportunity to actively participate. Kogler emphasized that the work was not only offensive, but also necessary for a more open society. Holzinger himself described her fascination for the element of water, which she has explored in previous work such as "Ophelia’s Got Talent" and whose symbolism is of significant relevance for the falling city of Venice.

The jury was impressed by the interdisciplinary approach and the deep understanding of Holzinger for cultural and social issues. Your project will not only enrich the aesthetic space of the pavilion, but also toast a critical reflection on identity and the relationship between body and nature. Minister of Culture Kogler also announced an increase in the ministry's basic funding by 50,000 euros to a total of 600,000 euros for the project, which underlines the high priority of this art presentation. The detailed project is implemented for the first time in such a framework .