The national pavilions host each participating nation's official representation at the Venice Biennale, an international art biennial exhibition held in Venice, Italy. Some countries own pavilion buildings in the Giardini della Biennale, while others rent buildings throughout the city; however, each country controls its own selection process and production costs.
Background The Venice Biennale is an international art biennial exhibition held in Venice, Italy. Often described as "the Olympics of the art world", participation in the Biennale is a prestigious event for contemporary artists. The festival has become a constellation of shows: a central exhibition curated by that year's artistic director, national pavilions hosted by individual nations, and independent exhibitions held throughout Venice. The Biennale's parent organisation also runs regular festivals in other arts: architecture, dance, film, music and theatre.
Outside the central international exhibition, individual nations produce their own shows, known as pavilions, as their national representation. Nations that own their pavilion buildings – such as the 30 housed in the Giardini – are responsible for their own upkeep and construction costs as well. Nations without dedicated buildings create pavilions in venues throughout the city.
Giardini national pavilions
Nation Location First exhibition Year of construction Austria Giardini 1934 Australia Giardini 1988 Belgium Giardini 1907 Brazil Giardini 1964 Canada Giardini 1957 Central Pavilion Giardini 1895 Czech Republic and Slovakia Giardini 1926 Denmark Giardini 1932 Egypt Giardini 1932 Estonia Giardini 1997 Finland Giardini 1956 France Giardini 1912 Germany Giardini 1909 Great Britain Giardini 1909 Greece Giardini 1934 Hungary Giardini 1909 Israel Giardini 1952 Japan Giardini 1956 the Netherlands Giardini 1912 Nordic countries (Sweden/Norway/Finland) Giardini 1962 Poland Giardini 1932 Romania Giardini 1938 Russia Giardini 1914 Serbia Giardini 1938 South Korea Giardini 1995 Spain Giardini 1922 Switzerland Giardini 1952 United States Giardini 1930 Uruguay Giardini 1962 Venezuela Giardini 1956 Venice Giardini 1932
Israel
Israeli artists first participated as the Erez Israel, Artisti Palestinesi pavilion in 1948, sponsored by wealthy Italian Jews. The country opened its official pavilion in 1950. The current pavilion was designed by Ze'ev Rechter and opened in 1952
List of exhibitors in the Israeli Pavilion: 1948 — Yitzhak Frenkel Frenel, Yehezkel Streichman, Moshe Castel, Sionah Tagger, Avigdor Stematsky, Aharon Giladi 1950 — Yitzhak Frenkel Frenel, Mordechai Levanon, Leon Fein, Leo Kahn 1952 — Marcel Janco, Reuben Rubin, Moshe Mokady 2007 — Yehudit Sasportas (Curator: Suzanne Landau)Dana Gilerman (December 13, 2006), The war changed her plans Haaretz. 2017 — Gal Weinstein (Curator: Tami Katz-Freiman)Alex Greenberger (June 23, 2016), Gal Weistein to Represent Israel, Egill Sæbjörnsson to Represent Iceland at 2017 Venice Biennale ARTnews. 2019 — Aya Ben Ron (Curator: Avi Lubin)Israel. Field Hospital X 2024 – Ruth Patir (Curators: Mira Lapidot, Tamar Margalit)Alex Greenberger (24 October 2023), Israel Moves Forward with Venice Biennale Pavilion as Palestine Museum US Says Its Proposal Was Rejected ARTnews.
Japan
List of exhibitors in the Japanese Pavilion: 1970 — Shusaku Arakawa and Nobuo Sekine 1993 — Yayoi Kusama (Commissioner: Akira Tatehata) 2005 — Miyako Ishiuchi (Commissioner: Michiko Kasahara) 2007 — Masao Okabe (Commissioner: Chihiro Minato) 2009 — Miwa Yanagi (Commissioner: Hiroshi Minamishima) 2011 — Tabaimo (Commissioner: Yuka Uematsu) 2013 — Koki Tanaka (Curator: Mika Kuraya) 2015 — Chiharu Shiota (Curator: Hitoshi Nakano) 2017 — Takahiro Iwasaki (Curator: Meruro Washida)Tessa Goldsher (July 11, 2016), Takahiro Iwasaki Will Represent Japan at Venice Biennale in 2017 ARTnews. 2019 — Motoyuki Shitamichi, Taro Yasuno, Toshiaki Ishikura, Fuminori Nousaku (Curator: Hiroyuki Hattori) 2022 — Dumb TypeJosé da Silva (17 December 2021), Venice Biennale 2022: all the national pavilions, artists and curators The Art Newspaper.
Qatar In 2024, the Venice Biennale announced a proposal for a Qatar pavilion in the Giardini as part of a deal between the city of Venice and the Qatar Museums, which will manage the pavilion. Following an international competition, an advisory panel chaired by Rem Koolhaas selected Lina Ghotmeh as the architect to create the permanent pavilion in 2025.Maximilíano Durón (11 April 2025), Qatar Names Lina Ghotmeh as Architect for Forthcoming National Pavilion in Venice ARTnews.
United States
The American pavilion was privately owned and the 9th to be built in the Giardini. Today it is owned by the Guggenheim foundation.
1948 — 79 artists including George Bellows, Thomas Hart Benton, Edward Hopper, Grant Wood, William Baziotes, Arshile Gorky, Jacob Lawrence, Mark Rothko, Theodoros Stamos, Mark Tobey. 1950 — , Arshile Gorky, Willem de Kooning, Jackson Pollock, Hyman Bloom, Lee Gatch, Rico Lebrun. 1956 — 35 artists, including Lyonel Feininger, John Marin, Charles Sheeler, Edward Hopper, George Tooker, Jacob Lawrence, Joseph Stella, Georgia O'Keeffe, Mark Tobey, Hedda Sterne, Franz Kline, Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning. 1970 — Jasper Johns, Josef Albers, Alexander Liberman, Sam Francis, Ed Ruscha. 2024 — Jeffrey Gibson.
Pavilions outside Giardini Albania List of exhibitors in the Albanian Pavilion: 1999 — Alban Hajdinaj, Besnik & Flutura Haxhillari, Edi Hila, Lala Meredith-Vula, Gazmend Muka, Adrian Paci, Edi Rama, Anri Sala, Astrit Vatnikaj, Sislej Xhafa. (Curator: Edi Muka) 2005 — Sislej Xhafa. (Commissioner and Curator: Andi Tepelena and Cecilia Tirelli) 2007 — Helidon Gjergji, Genti Gjokola, Alban Hajdinaj, Armando Lulaj, Heldi Pema. (Commissioner: Rubens Shima. Curator: Bonnie Clearwater) 2009 — Anila Rubiku, Orion Shima, Gentian Shkurti, Eltjon Valle, Driant Zeneli. (Commissioner: Parid Tefereçi. Curator: Riccardo Caldura) 2015 — Armando Lulaj. (Curator: Marco Scotini) 2017 — Leonard Qylafi. (Curator: Vanessa Joan Müller) 2024 — Iva Lulashi (Curator:Antonio Grulli)
Andorra
List of exhibitors in the Andorran Pavilion:
2011 - Helena Guàrdia, Francisco Sánchez 2013 - Javier Balmaseda, Samantha Bosque and Fiona Morrisson 2015 - Agustí Roqué, Joan Xandri 2017 - Eve Ariza
Argentina In 1901, Argentina was the first Latin American nation to participate in the Biennale. In 2011, it was granted a pavilion in the Sale d'Armi, which it will restore.
List of exhibitors in the Argentine Pavilion: 1903 — Pío Collivadino 1905 — Pío Collivadino 1907 — Pío Collivadino 1954 — Lucio Fontana 1956 — Sarah Grilo 1958 — Lucio Fontana, Juan del Prete, Raquel Forner 1962 — Antonio Berni 1966 — Lucio Fontana, Julio Le Parc 1968 — Lucio Fontana 1970 — Luis Fernando Benedit 1972 — Lucio Fontana 1978 — Lucio Fontana 1980 — Sergio de Castro, Fabriciano 1982 — Marino di Teana 1984 — Antonio Seguí 1986 — Marta Minujin 1995 — Jorge Orta 1997 — Ana Eckell 1999 — Jaques Bedel, Luis Benedit, Oscar Bony 2001 — Leandro Erlich, Graciela Sacco (Curator: Irma Arestizábal) 2003 — Charly Nijensohn 2005 — Jorge Macchi, Edgardo Rudnitzky 2007 — Guillermo Kuitca, Jorge Macchi, Edgardo Rudnitzky (Commissioner: Adriana Rosenberg) 2009 — Luis Felipe Noé (Curator: Fabián Lebenglik) 2011 — Adrián Villar Rojas (Curator: Rodrigo Alonso) 2013 — Nicola Costantino (Curator: Fernando Farina) 2015 — Juan Carlos Distéfano (Curator: María Teresa Constantín) 2017 — Claudia Fontes (Curator: Christine Macel) 2019 — Mariana Telleria (Curator: Florencia Battiti) 2022 — Mónica Heller (Curator: Alejo Ponce de León) 2024 — Luciana Lamothe (Curator: Sofía Dourron)
Bahrain 2013 — Waheeda Malullah
Benin List of exhibitors in the Beninese Pavilion: 2024 – Ishola Akpo, Mofouli Bello, Romuald Hazoumé, Chloé Quenum (Curator: Azu Nwagbogu)Saeed Kamali Dehghan (26 December 2023), ‘Embrace the unexpected’: African art boosts its presence at Venice Biennale The Guardian.
Bosnia and Herzegovina List of exhibitors in the Bosnian Pavilion: 2003 — Maja Bajevic, Jusuf Hadžifejzovic, Edin Numankadic, Nebojša Šeric-Šoba 2013 — Mlаden Miljаnović 2017 — Radenko Milak (Curators : Christopher Yggdre, Sinziana Ravini, Fredrik Svensk, Anna van der Vliet) 2019 — Danica Dakić (Curators: Anja Bogojević, Amila Puzić, Claudia Zini)
Central Asia The first Central Asian Pavilion was an initiative of Victor Miziano in 2005. The second pavilion was organized by Yulia Sorokina (Almaty) and the third by Beral Madra (Istanbul). Each of these was different in format and approach. The first one – Art from Central Asia. A Contemporary Archive – aimed at placing Central Asia on the 'map' of international art. Along the works of invited artists, there were many video compilations of films, performance and happenings presented by Central Asian artists from the end of the 1990s and beginning of 2000.
List of exhibitors in the Central Asia Pavilion: 2005 — Said Atabekov, Vyacheslav Akhunov & Sergey Tychina, Maksim Boronilov & Roman Maskalev, Elena Vorobyeva & Viktor Vorobyev, Kasmalieva & Djumaliev, Sergey Maslov, Almagul Menlibaeva, Erbossyn Meldibekov, Alexander Nikolaev, Rustam Khalfin & Yulia Tikhonova (Curators: Viktor Misiano, Commissioner: Churek Djamgerchinova) 2007 — Roman Maskalev, Almagul Menlibaeva & German Popov, Gulnur Mukazhanova, Alexander Nikolaev, Aleksey Rumyantsev, Alexander Ugay, Asia Animation, Said Atabekov, Vyacheslav Akhunov, Alla Girik & Oksana Shatalova, Digsys, Natalia Dyu, Zadarnovsky Brothers, Gaukhar Kiyekbayeva, Vyacheslav Useinov, Jamol Usmanov, Aytegin Muratbek Uulu, Jamshed Kholikov, ZITABL (Commissioner and curator: Yulia Sorokina) 2009 — Ermek Jaenish, Jamshed Kholikov, Anzor Salidjanov, Oksana Shatalova, Elena Vorobyeva & Viktor Vorobyev (Curator: Beral Madra, Commissioner: Vittorio Urbani) 2011 — Natalia Andrianova, Said Atabekov, Artyom Ernst, Galim Madanov and Zauresh Terekbay, Yerbossyn Meldibekov, Alexander Nikolaev, Marat Raiymkulov, Aleksey Rumyantsev and Alla Rumyantseva, Adis Seitaliev (Curators: Boris Chukhovich, Georgy Mamedov, Oksana Shatalova, Commissioners: Asel Akmatova, Andris Brinkmanis)
Chile List of exhibitors in the Chilean Pavilion: 2009 — Iván Navarro (Curators: Antonio Arévalo, Justo Pastor Mellado) 2011 — Fernando Prats (Curator: Fernando Castro Flórez) 2013 — Alfredo Jaar (Curator: Madeleine Grynsztejn) 2015 — Paz Errázuriz, Lotty Rosenfeld (Curator: Nelly Richard) 2017 — Bernardo Oyarzún (Curator: Ticio Escobar) 2024 – Valeria Montti (Curator: Andrea Pacheco)Juan José Santos Mateo (17 November 2023), Chile’s Venice Biennale Pavilion Faces a Troubled Selection Process, Resulting in Resignations ARTnews.
Croatia List of exhibitors in the Croatian Pavilion: 1993 — Milivoj Bijelić, Ivo Deković, and Željko Kipke 1995 — Martina Kramer, Goran Petercol, Mirko Zrinščak, Ivan Faktor, Nina Ivančić, Damir Sokić, Mladen Stilinović, Dean Jokanović Toumin, Goran Trbuljak, Gorki Žanić 1997 — Dalibor Martinis 1999 — Zlatan Vrkljan 2001 — Julije Knifer 2003 — Boris Cvjetanović and Ana Opalić 2007 — Ivana Franke (curator: Branko Franceschi, Željko Kipke) 2011 — Saša Begović, Marko Dabrović, Igor Franić, Tanja Grozdanić, Petar Mišković, Silvije Novak, Veljko Oluić, Helena Paver Njirić, Lea Pelivan, Toma Plejić, Goran Rako, Saša Randić, Turato Idis, Pero Vuković e Tonči Žarnić 2013 — Kata Mijatović (Curator: Branko Franceschi) 2015 — Damir Očko (Curator: Marc Bembekoff) 2017 — Tina Gverović, Marko Tadić (Curator: Branka Benčić) 2019 — Igor Grubić (Curator: Katerina Gregos)
Cyprus 2026 — Marina Xenofontos (Curator: Kyle Dancewicz)Maximilíano Durón (30 September 2025), Sculptor Marina Xenofontos to Represent Cyprus at the 2026 Venice Biennale ARTnews.
Estonia