Vietnam's Biennale debut

Vietnam will appear at the Venice Art Biennale for the first time in 2026, joining one of the art world’s biggest national-pavilion stages. (en.vietnamplus.vn) The show is titled “Viet Nam: Art in a Global Flow” and will run during the 61st International Art Exhibition from May 9 to November 22, 2026, in Venice. La Biennale says this edition includes 100 national participations, with Vietnam among seven first-time countries. (labiennale.org 1) (labiennale.org 2) Vietnam’s pavilion will be housed at Ca’ Giustinian Faccanon, a historic Venetian palace that recently reopened after more than a year of restoration. State media said the project is organized under Vietnam’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. (english.vtv.vn) (en.vietnamplus.vn) The exhibition is curated by Đỗ Tường Linh and, according to Vietnamese reports, brings together 10 artists working across lacquer, painting, and installation. VietnamPlus said the presentation favors “meaningful artistic dialogue” and “subtle voices” over scale. (artasiapacific.com) (en.vietnamplus.vn) One named project is by Lê Hữu Hiếu, also known as Henry Le, whose installation “Tằm” uses 12 guardian figures, a house-like structure, a large lacquer painting, and live silkworms. ArtAsiaPacific said the work draws on memory, creation, and cyclical change. (artasiapacific.com) Vietnam’s debut lands inside a Biennale built around “In Minor Keys,” the late curator Koyo Kouoh’s exhibition about quieter, lower-register forms of attention and resistance. La Biennale decided to carry out Kouoh’s project after her death in May 2025. (labiennale.org) (dw.com) That broader setting matters because the Venice Biennale is not only a museum show but also a map of state-backed representation. Deutsche Welle described the event as the “Olympics of the art world,” where national pavilions often pull geopolitics into the exhibition itself. (dw.com) This year’s debates have centered on national participation as much as art. Deutsche Welle reported backlash over the presence of Russia, Israel, and the United States, while the European Commission warned it could suspend €2 million in funding over Russia’s return. (dw.com) For Vietnam, the first pavilion is both a formal entry into that system and a bid to place contemporary Vietnamese art before Biennale audiences on its own terms. The country’s opening move is a show about flow, listening, and exchange rather than a claim made through size. (en.vietnamplus.vn) (english.vtv.vn)