Vietnam debuts at Venice

Vietnam will join the Venice Biennale’s national-pavilion lineup for the first time in 2026, opening its own exhibition in Venice on May 9. (artasiapacific.com) The pavilion is titled *Viet Nam: Art in the Global Flow* and will be installed at Ca’ Giustinian Faccanon, a restored Gothic palace in San Marco. The 61st International Art Exhibition runs from May 9 to November 22, with preview days on May 6, 7 and 8. (artasiapacific.com) (labiennale.org) Curator Đỗ Tường Linh and commissioner Ma The Anh are leading the project, which brings together 10 artists: Nguyễn Thành Chương, Đoàn Thị Thu Hương, Bùi Hữu Hùng, Lê Hoàng Nguyên, Trịnh Tuân, Đinh Văn Quân, Nguyễn Trường Linh, Triệu Khắc Tiến, Lê Nguyên Chính and Lê Hữu Hiếu. The presentation is unified by the use of traditional Vietnamese lacquer. (artasiapacific.com) (myartguides.com) At Venice, a national pavilion is a country’s official exhibition within the Biennale’s wider structure, separate from the central curated show. La Biennale says the 2026 edition includes 100 national participations, while independent pavilion listings identify Viet Nam among the new participating countries. (labiennale.org) (universes.art) The debut places Vietnam inside the Biennale’s main diplomatic and cultural map after years in which Vietnamese artists appeared in other formats, including collateral projects and individual exhibitions. ArtAsiaPacific noted that Lê Hữu Hiếu previously staged a solo show at Arsenale Nord in Venice in 2021. (artasiapacific.com) Ca’ Giustinian Faccanon is part of the story too. The palace reopened after more than a year of restoration and is being repositioned for exhibitions and cultural events, with the 2026 Biennale among its first major uses. (initaly.it) (finestresullarte.info) One confirmed centerpiece is Lê Hữu Hiếu’s installation *Tằm*, or *Silkworm*. ArtAsiaPacific reported that it includes 12 sculptural guardian deities, a house-like structure, a large lacquer painting, and live silkworms, using materials such as jackfruit wood, gold leaf and eggshell. (artasiapacific.com) Vietnamese state and arts coverage has framed the pavilion as a chance to place contemporary Vietnamese art before a larger international audience. By the time the Biennale opens in May, visitors will see Vietnam represented not as a guest in someone else’s show, but under its own flag and venue. (vietnam.vnanet.vn) (labiennale.org)