Austria 2026

Title: Seaworld Venice
Commissioner: The Arts and Culture Division of the Federal Ministry for Housing, Arts, Culture, Media and Sport Republic of Austria
Curator: Nora-Swantje Almes
Exhibitor: Florentina Holzinger

The project combines elements of dance, theatre, and performance art, expanding the artist’s research into water as both a subject and a symbol. Conceived as a machinic organism—functioning simultaneously as an underwater theme park, a sewage treatment plant, and a sacred building—the installation is inhabited by performers throughout the exhibition.

The work employs a feminist approach to explore female representation and physicality, drawing inspiration from water creatures in mythological and classical tales. The project addresses the management of water as a resource, existential bodily experiences, and societal norms. It connects to traditions in Austrian art history, such as Viennese Actionism and feminist body art, by using a socio-critical approach to the human body.

The exhibition extends beyond the pavilion through a series of “Études”—choreographic exercises and performative actions staged in public and transitory spaces across the lagoon.