12 January 2025
 Austria finds itself at a pivotal political juncture as two parties enter a second round of negotiations to form a new government following the collapse of a three-party coalition's efforts to establish stability. Amid this transitional period, national decision-making faces increased complexity. Despite the political uncertainty, the outgoing government recently achieved a significant cultural milestone by finalizing Austria's contribution to the 2026 Venice Biennale. Regardless of the direction the incoming administration takes, the nation's most prominent international art exhibition in 2026 will reflect the vision of the current leadership. Florentina Holzinger's Bold Vision for Venice Performance artist Florentina Holzinger has been selected to represent Austria at the prestigious international art exhibition, which every two years focuses on themes developed from the questions and challenges facing global society. The curator of the next Biennale, Koyo Kouoh, was appointed last December. The overarching theme for 2026 has not yet been officially announced. Austria's contribution to the Biennale, entitled 'Seaworld Venice' - a blend of dance, theater and performance art - will explore themes of humanity's relationship with nature, technology and water, as announced at this week's press conference. The curator of the Austrian project, Nora-Swantje Almes, will work closely with Holzinger for Venice. Known for her expertise in performance and visual arts contexts, Almes has curated major projects internationally. Her collaboration with Holzinger is expected to push the boundaries of conventional exhibition formats. The Seaworld Venice project will include permanent installations and site-specific performances in Venice's urban lagoon spaces, promising a deeply immersive and thought-provoking experience. Holzinger's contributions often challenge societal norms and perceptions of the body, making her work both daring and significant. A recent production that many may remember is 'Sancta', which was staged last year at the Wiener Festwochen in Vienna and at the Stuttgart State Opera. It was widely covered in the press, particularly the audience reactions to the opera's fearless exploration of bodily representation and its interplay with feminist themes. The production exemplifies Holzinger's approach to blending classical and contemporary elements to create striking and visceral artistic experiences. At the press conference in Vienna, Minister of Art and Culture Werner Kogler expressed confidence in Holzinger's ability to uphold Austria's tradition of impactful contributions to the Biennale. He noted that the project breaks new ground and anticipated it would join the ranks of the country's successful recent contributions. Florentina Holzinger shared her excitement, explaining that the essence of her work lies in the uncompromising use of the body as a medium to explore social and political processes. She added that Venice, with its tension between water and urban life, provides a unique context for this exploration. Highlights of the Vienna-born artist's career include winning the Nestroy Prize for Best Director for 'Tanz', or the Faust Prize for 'A Divine Comedy', to name just two of a longer list that could continue for 'Seaworld Venice'. Image, from left: The picture of the press conference on January 9, 2025 in Vienna shows the artist Florentina Holzinger and the curator Nora-Swantje Almes of the Austrian contribution to the Venice Biennale 2026, the Minister for Art and Culture Werner Kogler and jury member Gabriele Spindler, Head of the Department for Art and Cultural Studies of the OÖ Landes-Kultur GmbH and curator of the 2024 Biennale contribution. Photo: © BMKÖS/HBF/P. Kulec. |
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