Venice Biennale 2026: In Minor Keys (from a-n)

 

I was hesitant about going to see In Minor Keys because of the negative press; however, I enjoyed the exhibition and was glad I went to see it.

Here are my thoughts on some my favourite exhibits.

Austria: Seaworld Venice

Curator: Nora-Swantje Almes

Exhibitor: Florentina Holzinger

I waited roughly an hour in the queue to go into the pavilion, and the emotions and awe I felt made it understandable to why there is constantly a long queue. Watching the two performers manoeuvre down the spinning pole at the vulnerable state of being naked reveals the trust they have in each other. I felt awe at their dynamic, which finished with another performer using her naked body to ring the bell outside the pavilion. We weren’t meant to take photos inside the pavilion, but the performer was performing outside the building, so a few of us took a photo on our own discretion. I didn’t get to see the bit with the jet ski on the opposite side of the building, but I saw that water gets everywhere when I was in the queue.

The next part was a performer standing inside the tank of filtered urine water in diving gear. I used the portable toilet, so my pee became part of the show. It made me consciously think that we’re all not that different. We pee, our waste gets filtered and becomes part of a bigger narrative/ecosystem.

Japan: Grass babies, moon babies

Curators: Horika Lisa, Takahashi Mizuki

Exhibitor: Ei Arakawa-Nash

There’s a recurring pattern that I enjoy exhibitions that encourage unconventional viewer behaviour. The Japan pavilion is one of my favourites, because it was curated so that the viewers had the opportunity to carry one of the 200 baby dolls with them to experience the pavilion. The baby doll was selected by the invigilator. There was a choice of seeing the show child-free, but I wanted to experience carrying a baby doll. It makes a difference, because the dolls were designed to simulate the weight of a real baby. I think the body knows what carrying a baby feels like, and my maternal instincts were activated, because when I was sitting down watching a video, I started rocking the baby doll without a conscious realisation.

I changed the baby’s diaper, and there is a QR code in their diapers, which reveals a poem individualised to each of the baby dolls.

Greece: Escape room

Curator: George Bekirakis

Exhibitor: Andreas Angelidakis

I liked the idea that Plato’s cave is reimagined to fit the current times of commercialisation and surveillance. It’s saying that culture has changed but also remains the same. It doesn’t state it explicitly in the short guide, but there’s a lot of sexual undertone to this exhibit because of the visual gestures like the fluorescent red lighting and seedy club music, and also the phallic-like structures going through the pavilion, as well as on the outside. There’s cameras hidden in the room too. There were odd occasions when I saw the back of my body projected onto the wall. There’s one that films viewers as they walk into the pavilion.

Grand Duchy of Luxembourg: La Merde

Curator: Stilbe Schroeder

Exhibitor: Aline Bouvy

I can’t put images of the video here, because I worry that it might be a bit much. There is a realistic anthropomorphic poop that interacts with people. (It’s a person dressed up in a poop costume, but it’s so realistic that it feels uncomfortable), It gets worse when the poop French kisses someone, and the person’s hands and face is covered with the material. My favourite section of the video is the part where it was titled ‘Identification Projection’. This part was the poop flirting with the audience in the video, but at the same time, the audience felt like a proxy of us watching the video. (The physical set up in the biennale mirrored the video set up). It made me uncomfortable, but it was so funny at the same time (when the poop started throwing up and exploding bits of itself onto the audience), and also sad, especially when the poop said, ‘I’m the stain you wipe off’.

Visitor Lions

I have a chance to vote on which artist and pavilion would win the Visitor Lion. I wouldn’t make a good judge, because I don’t want to vote, as I have many favourites.