Equatorial Guinea makes Venice Biennale debut with forest-themed pavilion backed by Grand Hotel

Equatorial Guinea has entered the Venice Biennale for the first time with a national pavilion built around the imagery of forests, undergrowth and spiritual landscape. La Biennale di Venezia lists the Republic of Equatorial Guinea among the countries making a debut at the 61st International Art Exhibition, which opened on May 9 and runs through Nov. 22. The pavilion is titled “The Forest: The Undergrowth” and is installed at Palazzo Donà dalle Rose in Venice. Travel and tourism industry reports say the effort is backed this year by Grand Hotel Djibloho, a luxury hotel in Equatorial Guinea. ### Why is this debut drawing attention inside the 2026 Biennale? The 2026 Biennale includes seven first-time national participants, according to Biennale guides and coverage of this year’s edition. Equatorial Guinea is one of them, alongside countries including Guinea, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Vietnam, Nauru and Qatar. That makes the pavilion part of a wider expansion in the Biennale’s national map, but Equatorial Guinea’s entry stands out because it gives the country its first official platform in one of contemporary art’s most visible international exhibitions. La Biennale’s official page describes the pavilion as bringing “its forest to Venice,” framing the exhibition around the symbolism of the forest and undergrowth. The institution says the setting is meant to evoke both the unconscious and a place of dialogue between the visible and invisible. That language places the project within the Biennale’s broader habit of using national pavilions to stage both cultural identity and curatorial argument. ### What exactly is in the pavilion? The official Biennale listing names Fernando Nguema and Modest Gené among the artists tied to the project, while art guides and exhibition coverage describe a broader group show with international participants. The exhibition is commissioned by Paulo Speller and curated by Joan Abelló, according to Biennale and guide listings. Art coverage of the pavilion says the show uses the undergrowth as both a visual environment and a conceptual device. (labiennale.org) One reported work, by Paraguayan artist Ingrid Seall, is described as an immersive installation that transforms waste and residual materials into new forms. Other listings describe the pavilion as a collective exploration of layered environments, ecology, memory and interconnected narratives. ### Where is Equatorial Guinea showing its pavilion? Palazzo Donà dalle Rose is the venue for Equatorial Guinea’s pavilion, according to Biennale-related listings and local Italian coverage. The palace is in Venice’s Cannaregio district and is also hosting other Biennale-linked programming this year. The location matters because many first-time or non-permanent national pavilions are staged outside the Giardini’s historic core. In practice, that means visitors need to seek out the show across the city rather than encountering it only in the central pavilion circuit. (labiennale.org) Biennale guides list the Equatorial Guinea pavilion at the palace from May 9 through Nov. 22. ### What is Grand Hotel Djibloho’s role? Grand Hotel Djibloho has been identified in travel-industry coverage as a supporter of Equatorial Guinea’s Biennale participation. An industry association post published on May 15 said the hotel was supporting the country’s “cultural projection” at the Venice Biennale 2026. The hotel’s own website describes it as a five-star resort set in a tropical forest in Equatorial Guinea, a detail that aligns closely with the pavilion’s forest-centered imagery. (myartguides.com) That support appears to be part sponsorship and part cultural branding. The available public material does not spell out the financial terms, but it consistently links the hotel’s name to the pavilion’s debut and to Equatorial Guinea’s international cultural presence this year. ### What happens next for the pavilion? (atta.travel) The Biennale runs until Nov. 22, giving Equatorial Guinea more than six months of programming, visitor traffic and institutional visibility in Venice. A pavilion calendar published on an event site linked to the project lists music, heritage, dance, film, education and intercultural dialogue events running from May 5 to Nov. 22 at Palazzo Donà dalle Rose. That means the debut is not limited to an opening-week exhibition. (atta.travel) The next phase is the public program in Venice, where organizers say the pavilion will continue hosting events and presentations through the close of the 2026 Biennale. (equatorialguinealabiennale.org)