Vietnam’s Venice Debut

Vietnam will stage its first official national pavilion at the 61st Venice Biennale in 2026, marking the country’s debut inside the exhibition’s national-participation structure. (artasiapacific.com) The presentation is titled *Viet Nam: Art in the Global Flow* and will open at Ca’ Giustinian Faccanon, a restored palace in Venice’s San Marco district. ArtAsiaPacific reported the project as an official national entry rather than a collateral event on the Biennale’s sidelines. (artasiapacific.com) La Biennale di Venezia says the 61st International Art Exhibition will run from May 9 to November 22, 2026, with preview days on May 6, 7, and 8. The main exhibition, *In Minor Keys*, is being carried forward with the support of curator Koyo Kouoh’s family after her death in May 2025. (labiennale.org) Vietnamese state media identified artist Lê Hữu Hiếu and curator Đỗ Tường Linh as the team behind the project. VTV said the exhibition will examine Vietnamese art in the context of globalization, where cultures meet and change. (english.vtv.vn) That debut places Vietnam among the countries using Venice’s national-pavilion model, one of the Biennale’s core formats since the late nineteenth century. Universes in Universe’s running list for 2026 shows Viet Nam among the new national participations announced for this edition. (universes.art) The venue is part of the story. Italian reports say Ca’ Giustinian Faccanon reopened in 2026 after more than a year of restoration and is being repositioned for exhibitions, events, and international cultural projects beginning with the Biennale. (initaly.it) Vietnam has appeared in Venice before through artists and related programming, but not with its own official pavilion. The Art Newspaper’s 2026 pavilion tracker lists Vietnam alongside countries announcing national representatives for this year’s edition. (theartnewspaper.com) The Biennale’s geography still carries weight in the art world: some countries have permanent buildings in the Giardini, while others mount official shows across Venice. Vietnam’s entry will be one of those citywide national presentations, but it will now arrive under the Biennale’s formal state banner. (labiennale.org)