Florentina Holzinger's 'SEAWORLD VENICE' Opens at 61st Venice Biennale Austrian Pavilion
On June 25, 2026, the 61st Venice Biennale opened with a pre-day performance of Florentina Holzinger's 'SEAWORLD VENICE' at the Austrian Pavilion. The choreographer and performance artist staged an Étude on the water, featuring performers dangling from a crane, a metal bell dredged from the lagoon, and a flooded pavilion. Holzinger, known for her high-stakes open-air choreographies, has shifted from theater to visual art, following her 2024 'Harbour Étude' at Bergen Kunsthall. Her work at the Biennale includes a performer ringing a bell every hour, creating a memorable image.
The Signal
Holzinger's presence at the Biennale signals a continued integration of performance into the traditionally object-focused event, following Anne Imhof's 2017 Golden Lion win and the 2019 'Sun & Sea' opera. Her work, described as a 'way of life practiced in the waste of others,' emphasizes collective action and care, with her performers joining a strike called by the Art Not Genocide Alliance. For collectors and curators, Holzinger's inclusion marks a growing crossover between contemporary dance and visual art, offering a model for politically engaged, community-driven practice that resonates beyond the pavilion.
- Artists: Florentina Holzinger
- People: Anne Imhof, Rugilė Barzdžiukaitė, Vaiva Grainytė, Lina Lapelytė, Miet Warlop, Dries Verhoeven, Nora-Swantje Almes
- Museums: Bergen Kunsthall
- Locations: Venice, Bergen
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