For the 61st International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia in 2026, Bugarin + Castle are to represent Scotland, curated by Mount Stuart Trust and commissioned by Scotland + Venice.
Bugarin + Castle - aka Davide Bugarin and Angel Cohn Castle - are to present a “multi-layered new project”, drawing on queer histories, Scottish archives and Filipino cultural heritage.
They said: ”We first met performing in the mess and noise of queer cabaret in Edinburgh. A decade later, that spirit still drives our practice. We’re thrilled to show new work together in Venice, transforming the venue with spatial and drag-inflected interventions that confront questions of gendered performance and colonial sound control, rooted in our lived experience. We aim to trouble easy narratives on the contested ground of identity today.”
Scotland’s participation in the Biennale was paused in 2023 amid financial concerns. However, Scotland + Venice, a partnership between a range of organisations including Creative Scotland, British Council Scotland and the Scottish Government, said earlier this year a review had opted to restart participation in the prestigious event. It said it would be a “more efficient model”, prioritising lower-carbon travel, more sustainable logistics and hybrid ways of working.
Although Scotland does not have its own pavilion - and is incorporated into the British Pavilion at the Bienniale, it has previously staged a number of "collateral" shows on the fringes of the main sites. A total of 29 countries have official pavilions at the event, regarded as one of the most significant international platforms within the global art world.
Main Image: Bugarin + Castle, Davide Bugarin and Angel Cohn Castle to represent Scotland at the Venice Biennale.