{"id":597366,"date":"2026-05-22T04:06:17","date_gmt":"2026-05-22T04:06:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/597366\/"},"modified":"2026-05-22T04:06:17","modified_gmt":"2026-05-22T04:06:17","slug":"every-national-pavilion-at-the-venice-biennale-reviewed-in-one-sentence-by-tabish-khan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/597366\/","title":{"rendered":"Every National Pavilion at the Venice Biennale Reviewed in One Sentence by Tabish Khan"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>www.andreaavezzu.com<\/p>\n

While I was in Venice for this year\u2019s Biennale<\/a>, I tried to see every national pavilion across the two main sites and the ones dotted around the city. I didn\u2019t manage to see them all due to a mix of geographical inconvenience, time constraints, and some being closed when I visited, though I did manage to see most of them.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s my pithy one-liner on every national pavilion, which reflects my first impressions \u2013 and also how hungry and tired I was at the time of visiting. I\u2019ve split them across Giardini, Arsenale and off-site, and in the order I saw them (or didn\u2019t). I\u2019ve also included the pavilions that aren\u2019t official national pavilions, but fulfil a similar function or occupy a similar space.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Giardini<\/p>\n

Greece \u2013 a BDSM club meets soft play sculpture, begging for a performance that isn\u2019t there.<\/p>\n

Romania \u2013 under the sea, under the sea, there\u2019ll be Romanians singing under the seeeeaaa, a calming space that doesn\u2019t actually have anything to do with the Little Mermaid \u2013 second space in Canareggio feels unnecessary.<\/p>\n

Poland \u2013 whale song turned into phonics and international sign language, a great concept and as an added bonus, you can lie down and listen to it \u2013 much appreciated when seating is at a premium in the rest of the Giardini.<\/p>\n

Venice \u2013 a good idea of a diary of creatives in Venice, even if the end result feels slight.<\/p>\n

Brazil \u2013 Rosana Paulino\u2019s<\/a> work about racial discrimination and captive bodies hits hard, though the other works aren\u2019t at the same level.<\/p>\n

Egypt \u2013 touch a rocking granite sculpture, come here when you feel overstimulated \u2026 and you will.<\/p>\n

Serbia \u2013 archival materials on the walls and stacks of suitcases \u2013 I love the smell of the Serbian pavilion in the morning \u2026 smells like history.<\/p>\n

USA \u2013 lots of lumpy sculpture; does it reflect American values? Does anyone care?<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Nordic (photo above) \u2013 a giant tree woman lying down, bodies and hands combined into an animal-human hybrid \u2013 it\u2019s creepy, surreal, and I love it.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Denmark \u2013 nicknamed the \u2018porn pavilion\u2019 for asking whether there is a benefit to viewing porn and asks the question nobody else thought about asking, can VR porn solve the male fertility crisis?<\/p>\n

Switzerland \u2013 there\u2019s an important commentary on homophobia here if you can find it in the jumbled mess of a presentation.<\/p>\n

Russia \u2013 a dance floor with a DJ, serving vodka from a bar and lots of flowers, all feels as incongruous as Russia being at the Biennale.<\/p>\n

Venezuela \u2013 closed and a big sign saying it will be reborn, but surely now is the time to be reborn \u2013 is it making a statement that I didn\u2019t have time to figure out?<\/p>\n

Japan \u2013 babies you can pick up and change, only to find a QR code poem in their nappies \u2013 the only way this could be better is if the babies had sunglasses, and they do, the best dressed and most enjoyable pavilion.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Great Britain \u2013 lovely concept about migration and belonging, with nice paintings, but just \u2026 nice, if not particularly memorable.<\/p>\n

Canada \u2013 like the palm house at Kew Gardens, but a lot less interesting.<\/p>\n

Uruguay \u2013 lots of rubble and a ball of clothing, and something about fragility, brace yourself as there\u2019s more rubble to come in Venice.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Hungary \u2013 big chunks of metal that look imposing and dystopian, even if the concept doesn\u2019t match how they feel.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Finland \u2013 hairy things and the sound of wind, needed to be hairier and windier.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Spain (photo above) \u2013 this serious collection of postcards covers every wall and neatly captures the obsessive nature of artists.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Qatar \u2013 love the architecture of this pavilion, but you can\u2019t focus on a film in an open-air space when it gets drowned out by the hubbub of others walking all around it.<\/p>\n

Austria \u2013 all over the \u2018gram and worth queueing for (an hour max), and while everyone is focused on the nudity on a jetski, ringing a bell and diving in \u2018purified urine\u2019 that you can contribute to, it\u2019s the playful humour that won me over.<\/p>\n

Australia \u2013 sadly, the controversy around the selected artist was more impactful than this meditative work.<\/p>\n

Czechoslovakia \u2013 bizarre film about a mole man, though unfortunately not Hans Moleman from The Simpsons.\u00a0<\/p>\n

France \u2013 top marks for prettiest pavilion, but doubt anyone will remember the works over the curtains.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Germany \u2013 love all the East Germany references on the outside and inside of the pavilion, including the jarring green paint job, plus I love the corner filled with ladybirds.<\/p>\n

Korea \u2013 a simple concept of a liberation space is the calm you need in the storm of the Giardini.<\/p>\n

Belgium \u2013 intense, loud, dusty and a lot of fun as performers drum, scream and smash in this high-energy pavilion.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Netherlands \u2013 only pavilion I didn\u2019t see, as you had to be locked in for a 25-minute performance, and I heard it was even more traumatic than having to turn your phone off for 25 minutes.<\/p>\n

Arsenale\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Argentina (photo above) \u2013 walk around a room full of salt and coal, which feels like walking on snow \u2013 of all the earthy salt\/sand\/mud\/rock pavilions, I liked this one the most.<\/p>\n

Saudi Arabia \u2013 a moving mosaic that references cultural destruction and heritage under threat in the Arab world.<\/p>\n

Mexico \u2013 more salt again, this time in relation to indigenous culture and would have worked better as an installation, without the videos.<\/p>\n

UAE \u2013 speakers blare out lots of email apologies, which filled me with flashbacks of my corporate life, there\u2019s a creepy wooden sculpture with moving eyes, and a nice-smelling hammam room to finish \u2013 this rollercoaster of emotions ticks all the boxes.<\/p>\n

V&A \u2013 a low-key and relaxed display, and yes, I\u2019m aware the V&A isn\u2019t a country, though with all the new museums it has opened, its footprint is getting close to one.<\/p>\n

Ukraine \u2013 a great story about a sculpture being evacuated and documenting its travel to now hanging outside of the Giardini on a crane.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Albania \u2013 experimental film meets fashion catwalk meets dark fairy tales meets computer-generated landscapes \u2013 it\u2019s a lot, especially when all the elements aren\u2019t vibing.<\/p>\n

Luxembourg \u2013 ET is confused by a mirror, and a literal shit takes the stage in a film and chats and flirts with the audience before exploding over them \u2013 way funnier than it sounds and guaranteed to make you smile; it\u2019s the shit.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Singapore \u2013 walking videos, close-up body photographs and lots of wood, a gentle and calming alternative to the turd of Luxembourg across from it.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Turkiye \u2013 telling stories through textiles, I liked it, but there are a lot of textiles in this year\u2019s Biennale.<\/p>\n

Peru \u2013 muted fabrics with a nice concept, but work feels threadbare, especially with so many more textile pavilions nearby.<\/p>\n

Slovenia \u2013 tells the important history about the ruins of a mosque, but not sure this display of rubble conveys it successfully \u2013 also, what\u2019s with all the rubble this year?<\/p>\n

Lebanon \u2013 big panels of paintings, not clear that it\u2019s anything more than that.<\/p>\n

Latvia \u2013 twisted clothing racks mimic a backstage area, and feel like they belong backstage, rather than centre-stage.<\/p>\n

The Philippines \u2013 lots of big industrial metal, turn the lights down and it could be a nightclub.<\/p>\n

Timor-Leste \u2013 textile and video works cover an important part of the nation\u2019s history, but it\u2019s hurt by how small the space they have is.<\/p>\n

Morocco \u2013 more textiles and a massive bed you can sit on, a much-needed breather of a space, can you tell how much I\u2019m enjoying sitting down?<\/p>\n

Malta \u2013 there are some great works here, but will anyone notice them when there\u2019s a chocolate Russell Crowe of Gladiator?<\/p>\n

Oman \u2013 you\u2019ve stepped on salt, now step on some sand with what look like blades hanging above you, atmospheric if small.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Ireland (photo above)- I liked these textiles, but by this point, I was reaching textile capacity for the day.<\/p>\n

Chile \u2013 kick off your shoes and walk onto a white platform, where you look through peepholes and climb some stairs as you struggle to figure out what\u2019s going on in this adventure playground for adults.\u00a0<\/p>\n

India (photo above) \u2013 beautiful architecture made from silk, a suspended garden, a massive bamboo structure, and papier-mache architecture in this stunner of a pavilion.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Uzbekistan \u2013 the story of the Aral Sea drying up is important, but too many artists spoil the narrative here, though you do get to play with a salt pit.<\/p>\n

Italy \u2013 lots of ceramic sculptures fill the space, and for some reason, there\u2019s a disco ball and thumping music in one corner \u2013 do the figurative sculptures come to life and party when we leave?\u00a0<\/p>\n

China \u2013 art meets technology, and if you time it right, a robot will make you a calligraphic print to take away \u2013 though no idea why it has to be so dark in here.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Israel \u2013 somehow missed this, maybe my subconscious stopped me from seeing it due to Palestinian solidarity or maybe I couldn\u2019t see past the armed guards near it.<\/p>\n

Off-site<\/p>\n

Wales in Venice \u2013 earthy, nice concept, smells great, this won\u2019t be my only earthy encounter at the Biennale.<\/p>\n

Zimbabwe \u2013 couldn\u2019t visit as they were still installing during preview week.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Ethiopia \u2013 nice-looking abstract art in an even better-looking building.<\/p>\n

Nauru \u2013 mixed quality of works, but great concept about disappearing from the world\u2019s smallest island nation.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Lithuania \u2013 people embracing where the sea meets the land is poetic, but who\u2019s got time for a 40-minute film during preview week?<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

New Zealand (photo above) \u2013 a simple concept of large portraits of extinct or endangered birds that works well in a darkened space.<\/p>\n

Montenegro \u2013 walk on a glass floor with rooms of little people beneath my feet \u2013 I may not understand what\u2019s going on, but I\u2019m totally here for it.<\/p>\n

Kazakhstan \u2013 walked past it twice, and it wasn\u2019t open both times \u2013 maybe I timed it wrong, someone please tell me if they actually managed to make it inside.<\/p>\n

Mongolia \u2013 couldn\u2019t find it, maybe because it was closed on the day of the workers\u2019 strike.<\/p>\n

North Macedonia \u2013 a big gold Pieta in a church made up from the blankets given to refugees, a simple concept that hits hard.<\/p>\n

Scotland + Venice \u2013 closed on the day of the workers\u2019 strike.<\/p>\n

Iceland \u2013 furry artist among wolves in a film that switches from peaceful to intense, and a carpet you want to sink into, relaxing if confusing.<\/p>\n

Catalonia in Venice \u2013 paper watermarks is a weird choice of subject matter for this bizarre exhibition, but I got tissues to take away, and these helped with my tears of exhaustion.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Cuba \u2013 an important exhibition on the maroon uprising of enslaved people, and while the giant wood and metal heads didn\u2019t convey that message for me, I did like them.<\/p>\n

Estonia \u2013 a great concept of an artist living in Venice with her family, and the painting on a basketball court evolving over the length of the Biennale, no idea what it will look like when finished.<\/p>\n

Ecuador \u2013 the film about indigenous people and LGBT+ representation seemed interesting and powerful, but I was in desperate need of a pizza and couldn\u2019t handle a 26-minute film.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Somalia \u2013 welcoming living room space and powerful, painful poetry above it about how migrants are treated \u2013 arguably the strongest debut country and a great use of a corner building.<\/p>\n

Senegal \u2013 lots of gold-looking bling in a mirror maze, and I\u2019m here for it.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Croatia \u2013 poor paintings, slightly better films.<\/p>\n

Pakistan \u2013 fantastic textiles linked to the history of craft in Punjab, and that makes it worth navigating a building with more trip hazards than an obstacle course.<\/p>\n

The Bahamas \u2013 a lovely concept about the unrealised pavilion of a late artist, teamed up with a contemporary artist, and they work well together.<\/p>\n

Bulgaria \u2013 just around the corner from Pakistan and the Bahamas, but I just missed the final minutes before it closed for the day \u2013 a shame, as at the last Biennale, Bulgaria\u2019s living room installation was one of my favourites.\u00a0<\/p>\n

San Marino \u2013 Richter-like abstract paintings based on soundwaves \u2013 meh.<\/p>\n

Azerbaijan \u2013 I\u2019ve always liked Faig Ahmed\u2019s<\/a> distorted rugs, and using them to guide you round an exhibition is a great idea \u2013 there are also interactive works, but there was a queue that I couldn\u2019t wait for.<\/p>\n

Hong Kong \u2013 vibrating colourful string, spinning lights and goldfish printed on moving bags \u2013 it all looks cool, even if I have no clue what\u2019s going on.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Macao \u2013 wasn\u2019t open, but the poster looked great.<\/p>\n

Cyprus \u2013 a great example of how less can be more: a largely empty space filled with chanting, with just a model bird twitching but not dead, plus copper drums spinning in a second space, makes for a hauntingly effective pavilion.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Panama (photo above) \u2013 hard to find and even harder to get to opposite the Arsenale, but worth it for a stunning installation in a cavernous building, an important history and a soothing soundtrack.<\/p>\n

Armenia \u2013 lots of big colourful blocks and paintings, Duplo goes big \u2013 at least Panama is next door.<\/p>\n

Kosovo \u2013 haunting painting of a line of fleeing persons, with a soundtrack of explosions in a stunning octagonal church.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Guatemala & Grenada \u2013 two countries sharing a space seemingly without a theme as it could easily be confused for a gallery group show, it pains me to be hating on these two smaller nations, but come on \u2013 you can do so much better.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Congo (photo above) \u2013 tapestry, photography, film and light within an impressive, giant metallic structure inside a hospital, worth visiting for the journey alone of having to find it.<\/p>\n

Equatorial Guinea \u2013 a mixed bag, but a vast collection of works and those in the entrance hall are the strongest, in yet another stunner of a building that I hadn\u2019t visited before.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Kyrgyzstan \u2013 a big mechanised centaur-like creature looks like it could have stepped out of the video game Doom, alongside footage of the traditional sport Kok-boru (look it up, it\u2019s wild) \u2013 other works are less effective.<\/p>\n

Haiti \u2013 awful painting, slightly better photography.<\/p>\n

El Salvador \u2013 Giacometti-like sculptures in a courtyard lead to a much larger, non-biennale, group show in the Palazzo, so these works just feel like part of that show \u2013 confusing and overshadowed.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Indonesia \u2013 love that they\u2019ve focused on printmaking as the medium, since it doesn\u2019t get much coverage at the Biennale, and these are based on an imagined story of trade between the West and East \u2013 plus you get a bracelet in exchange for giving your email; that\u2019s how you build a mailing list.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Moldova \u2013 flying carpets held aloft by drones inside a church is a wild concept, and the noise in the darkness is genuinely terrifying and a phenomenal experience.<\/p>\n

Tanzania \u2013 another mixed bag of work and the venue is far from other pavilions, but it has tons of art and should get props for some of the best directional signage of any off-site pavilion.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Holy See (photo above) \u2013 the perfect soul cleanser to end the Biennale on, as you walk these hidden and gorgeous gardens with locational audio, ignore the other part of the Holy See pavilion that\u2019s a church filled with yellow lights, but don\u2019t miss this one.<\/p>\n

Gabrielle Goliath \u2013 should have been South Africa\u2019s pavilion, and it\u2019s even more haunting in a church as women support each other in singing a single note to comment on those who are persecuted, and I\u2019m glad to hear it\u2019s coming to London.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Cameroon \u2013 missed this because the maps I was using had it in two different locations, so I wasn\u2019t sure where it was.<\/p>\n

Georgia \u2013 one of a handful in Dorsoduro, in the only section of Venice I didn\u2019t manage to cover.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Sierra Leone \u2013 also in Dorsoduro, and didn\u2019t get to it.<\/p>\n

Syria \u2013 the furthest national pavilion on the main island from where I was staying, a shame to have missed it, as I love Sara Shamma\u2019s paintings.<\/p>\n

Belarus \u2013 not particularly remote but isolated and not close to anything else, which is why I never got to it.<\/p>\n

Guinea \u2013 didn\u2019t make it as it\u2019s on the island of San Servolo, and I\u2019ve only managed to visit the island once in my seven trips to Venice, and that was when it hosted the Golden Lion-winning Armenian pavilion.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s all of them, and I\u2019m hoping I haven\u2019t missed any.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Venice Biennale<\/a>\u00a0runs until 22nd November, and many of the collateral events run for a similar duration. Entrance to the main sites is ticketed; other events are either ticketed or free.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Lead image: Photo Andrea Avezzu, Courtesy of La Biennale di Venezia
Nordic pavilion photo: Jacopo Salvi
Spain image: \u00a9 Roberto Ruiz. Courtesy of the artist.
Argentinian pavilion photo: Jacopo Salvi
Irish pavilion photo: Luca Zambelli Bais
New Zealand image: Photography by Neil Pardington.
Panama image: \u00a9 Panama Pavilion
Congo image courtesy of Antoine Assumani.
Holy See image: Photo David Levene<\/p>\n

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