National pavilions at the Venice Biennale


The national pavilions host each participant nation's official representation during 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, but 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 throughout Venice. The Biennale parent organization also hosts regular festivals in other arts: architecture, dance, film, music, and theater.
Outside of 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 on 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

NationLocationFirst exhibitionYear of construction
AustriaGiardini1934
AustraliaGiardini 2015
BelgiumGiardini1907
BrazilGiardini1964
CanadaGiardini1957
Central PavilionGiardini1895
Czech Republic and SlovakiaGiardini1926
DenmarkGiardini1932
EgyptGiardini1932
FinlandGiardini1956
FranceGiardini1912
GermanyGiardini 1938
Great BritainGiardini1909
GreeceGiardini1934
HungaryGiardini1909
IsraelGiardini1952
JapanGiardini1956
the NetherlandsGiardini 1953
Nordic countries Giardini1962
PolandGiardini1932
RomaniaGiardini1932
RussiaGiardini1914
SerbiaGiardini1932–38
South KoreaGiardini1995
SpainGiardini1922
SwitzerlandGiardini1952
United StatesGiardini1930
UruguayGiardini1962
VenezuelaGiardini1956
VeniceGiardini1932

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 The list of exhibitors in the Israeli Pavilion:
List of exhibitors in the Japanese Pavilion:
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.

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.

Albania

List of exhibitors in the Albanian Pavilion:
List of exhibitors in the Albanian 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:
List of exhibitors in the Beninese Pavilion:
  • 2024 – Ishola Akpo, Mofouli Bello, Romuald Hazoumé, Chloé Quenum

    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
  • 2019 — Danica Dakić

    Central Asia

The first Central Asian Pavilion was an initiative of Victor Miziano in 2005. The second pavilion was organized by Yulia Sorokina and the third by Beral Madra. 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
  • 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
  • 2009 — Ermek Jaenish, Jamshed Kholikov, Anzor Salidjanov, Oksana Shatalova, Elena Vorobyeva & Viktor Vorobyev
  • 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

    Chile

List of exhibitors in the Chilean Pavilion:
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
  • 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
  • 2015 — Damir Očko
  • 2017 — Tina Gverović, Marko Tadić
  • 2019 — Igor Grubić