Her 61st International Art Exhibition of the Biennale Di Venezia It will take place from May 9 to November 22, 2026, under the theme In minor keysfollowing the project that led the missing Cameroonian-Switched Commissioner Koyo Kouh. Tears papera work by the Barcelona artist Clàudia Pagès Rabal curated by Elise Lammerhas been the selected project for the participation of Catalan culture to the Eventi Collaterali de la Biennal, organized by the Institut Ramon Llull.
The concept of duality, a crucial aspect of continuous research of Claudia Pagès Rabalthis time is explored through the rich history of the water or watermark marks that are created during the process of making paper and its transition from fresh water to salt water, weaving new connections between what is visible and what remains under the surface.
The Catalan artist focuses on water marks preserved in the archive of the Capellades Paper Mill Museum With papers dating to the 11th century, and from northern Italy to Spain. The proposal launches this rich archive of historical watermarks, which were achieved by giving the desired shape to a silver or copper thread that was sewn on the sieve of the form or mold for the manufacture of paper, with a collection of own drawings, arising from original water brands that the artist expands and encourages projections. These drawings will coexist in space with a sound composition and a video.
Tears paper It aligns with the curatorial vision of Koyo Kouh by creating a multiple layer installation that literally and metaphorically tunsing with the “minor shades”, in the form of sound, light and narrative.
The project that presents Catalan culture at the Venice Art Biennial, is chosen through a selection process organized by the Institut Ramon Llull through an expert jury. This year’s jury was chaired by Pepe SerraDirector of the National Art Museum of Catalonia (MNAC). They have been part of it, as vowels, Cristina Angladaindependent curator and cultural manager; co-curator of the Opening Section of Arcomadrid 2023-2024 and 2024-2025; María BerríosDirector of Conservation and Research of the MACBA; Amanda de la GarzaArtistic Director of the National Museum Centro de Arte Reina Sofía; former Director General of Visual Arts and the Universitario Arte Contemporáneo (MUAC) of the UNAM (Mexico); Chus Martinezdirector of the Institute Art Gender Nature (IAGN) at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW), Basel; Artistic director of the 36th edition of the Biennial of Graphic Arts of Ljubljana; Philip Ramosteacher of the Institute Art Gender Nature (IAGN, FHNW Basel) and artistic director of the Loop Festival; Commissioner of the project “Catalonia in Venice | Bestiari | Carlos Casas” in the Venice Art Biennial 2024: I Eva Soria, Director of Cultural Sectors of the Institute of Culture of Barcelona (Barcelona City Council).
On the project they have chosen, the jury considers that “The history of paper, related to water, and with the Jewish and Muslim communities resonates in the history of our present. The history of 15th -century Catalonia resonates in the history of the world today. At the same time, the project includes and embraces the motto –In minor keys– Sketched by Koyo Kouh. The personal and indirect methods of an artistic language that reaches the bottom of the social and political substance without ‘noise’, in an eloquent but not prescriptive way. ” They also state that “It is a project of great excellence that we are sure that will reach a general audience beyond its prior knowledge of the work, artist or art“.
The jury also emphasized the exceptional quality of the finalist projects: “We are amazed in the face of the vitality, beauty and urgency of the proposals and we are glad to see that the participation of Catalan culture in the Venice Art Biennial generates this level of artistic and professional excellence“. The 4 finalist projects have been: Fulgorby Rosa Lion, We are resonance, by Pilar Soler Montes, The world will sing … in a vibrationby Sonia Fernández Pan and Praying bodyby Renan Laru-an.
The Ramon Llull Institute organizes and produces Catalonia in Venice, the participation of Catalan culture in the Eventi Collaterali de la Biennale di Venezia. It has been present in the Art Biennial since 2009 and the Biennale of Architecture since 2012.
Claudia Pagès Rabal She is a visual artist, performer and writer based in Barcelona. In his practice, Pagès Rabal intertwines words, bodies, music and movement, producing visual and linguistic devices such as video facilities, paper or book works, where points of interest that drink from linguistics, psychoanalysis and decolonial studies come together.
His work has been exhibited at institutions such as Chisenhale, London (2025); Manifest 15, Barcelona (2024); IVAM, Valencia (2024); Sculpture Center, New York (2024); Ca2m, Madrid (2023); Joan Miró Foundation, Barcelona (2023); Tabakalera, Donostia (2022); Vleeshal, Middelburg (2022); Macba, Barcelona, (2022); Kunstverein Braunschweig, Braunschweig (2021); Sharjah Art Foundation, Emirates Arabic (2018). He will participate in the 18th Biennial of Istanbul (2025), and has two next individual exhibitions in Mumok, Vienna (2025) and Index, Stockholm (2025). His first novel, More than two waterswas published in Catalan by Empúries Narrativa in 2024.
Elise Lammer (n. Lausana, Switzerland) is the director of North hallein Geneva. Its practice focuses on the role of space, both public and domestic, and on the construction and expression of identity. Of a transdisciplinary nature, his work adopts a transgenerational and intersectional approach to questioning and re -evaluating narratives that have suffered a monolithic and unilateral integration in history, while examining these issues from a contemporary perspective.
As an author, researcher and curator, she has contributed to numerous international projects, such as at the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum (Lisbon); MUMOK – Museum Modernier Kunst Stifig Ludwig (Vienna); Macro (Rome); Schinkel (Berlin) Pavilion; Cultural Swiss Center (Paris); Mamco (Geneva); Kunsthaus glarus (glarus); Cantonal Musée des Beaux-Arts (Lausanne); Istituto Svizzero di Roma (Rome), among others.
