Details of the Swiss Pavilion at Biennale Arte 2026 announced

In the project ‘The Unfinished Business of Living Together’, the nominated collective explores contemporary forms of coexistence. Inspired by a 1978 episode of ‘Telearena’ on Swiss television, which featured controversial discussions of sexual orientation, the project seeks to examine the conditions and possibilities of tolerance and belonging as well as forms of social division.

By nominating this project, Philippe Bischof, Director of Pro Helvetia, followed the recommendation of a jury specially assembled for this competition. He states: ‘One of the outstanding qualities of the Venice Art Biennale is its ability to openly address current social debates through artistic means in an international context. With its approach of using media archive material as a starting point for artistic research into the present, the project team has struck a chord with the times’.

The jury consisted of Federica Chiocchetti, Ann-Kathrin Eickhoff, Vittoria Matarrese, Domagoj Smoljo and Anahita Vessier. The jury's decision acknowledges the importance of risk-taking in contemporary art and the belief that projects like ‘The Unfinished Business of Living Together’ can provoke meaningful societal discourse and result in strong contemporary artistic and curatorial solutions. The project aims to address pressing questions about social cohesion, identity and the values of collective living. 

The nominated team works at the intersections of art and research in Switzerland and Europe. The concept for the Swiss Pavilion was initiated by curators Gianmaria Andreetta (Lugano/Berlin), Luca Beeler (Zurich) and artist Nina Wakeford (London) and artistically developed by the full team further consisting of Miriam Laura Leonardi (Zurich), Lithic Alliance (Zurich/Brussels) and Yul Tomatala (Geneva). ‘We come from different language regions: German-, French- and Italian-speaking Switzerland. We represent different generations. We have international perspectives. What we want to achieve is a Pavilion in which the visitors should ask themselves: When and where is this happening? Does the archive have authority here? The viewer finds a position, or perhaps has an opinion changed’, they explain.

The 61st International Art Exhibition — La Biennale di Venezia will take place from 9 May to 22 November 2026.  The main exhibition will be curated by Koyo Kouoh (Cameroon/Switzerland). The International Art Exhibition — La Biennale di Venezia is held every two years, alternating with the International Architecture Exhibition. Switzerland has been participating in the Biennale Arte since 1920 and in the Biennale Architettura since 1991. It maintains its own pavilion in the Giardini of the Biennale, which has been managed and programmed by the Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia since 2012. For the first time, the contribution for the Swiss Pavilion at the 2026 Art Biennale was selected through an open call. A total of 140 applications were submitted.