the 61st International Art Exhibition of Fondazione La Biennale di Venezia

Sophia Al-Maria, Tom Eccles, Rirkrit Tiravanija, Tarek Atoui, Ruba Katrib. Photo: Brigitte Lacombe.

Written by Isabel Jiménez

On the occasion of the 61st International Art Exhibition of Fondazione La Biennale di Venezia, Rirkrit Tiravanija will present a project for the Qatar Pavilion which brings together artists, musicians and chefs from across the Arab world, including the participation of Tarek Atoui.

In conjunction with the Biennale, Lydia Ourahmane will present a solo exhibition at the Nicoletta Fiorucci Foundation. Mona Hatoum will participate in a group exhibition at ACP – ACP Palazzo Franchetti and Roberto Cuoghi will take part in a collaborative project at Teatro Goldoni in Venice.

Rirkrit Tiravanija
Tarek Atoui

La Biennale di Venezia, Qatar Pavilion, Giardini, Venice, Italy
May 9 — November 22, 2026

Rirkrit Tiravanija’s project for the Qatar Pavilion at the 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia brings together artists, musicians and chefs from across the Arab world.
Tiravanija has designed a tent-like structure to serve as a place for cultural exchange, with a film by Qatari-American artist Sophia Al-Maria, live performances organized by Lebanese artist Tarek Atoui, a large-scale sculpture by Kuwaiti-Puerto Rican artist Alia Farid, and a culinary programme of Middle Eastern cuisine designed by Palestinian chef Fadi Kattan.

Co-curated by Tom Eccles (Hessel Museum of Art, Bard College) and Ruba Katrib (MoMA PS1), the project will be presented in the Giardini della Biennale on the site of the future permanent Qatar Pavilion designed by Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture

Nicoletta Fiorucci Foundation, Venice, Italy
May 5 — November 22, 2026

Lydia Ourahmane presents a solo exhibition, 5 Works, curated by Polly Staple, at the Nicoletta Fiorucci Foundation, alongside the 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia.

Mona Hatoum, at ACP – Palazzo Franchetti, Venice, Italy
May 9 — October 31, 2026

Mona Hatoum participates in the group exhibition TURANDOT: To the Daughters of the East at ACP – Palazzo Franchetti, Collateral Event at the 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia.

At Teatro Goldoni, Venice, Italy, May 4 — 6pm to 10pm, Roberto Cuoghi participates in the collaborative project This is life (2026) at Teatro Goldoni, initiated by Karma Culture Brothers, alongside Gelitin, Luigi Ontani, and Paola Pivi.