Canada’s Venice Biennale Presentation: Exploring Nature, Authority, and Inclusion
In a world grappling with geopolitical tensions, mass migrations, and intensifying environmental crises, Canada’s pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale offers a meditative inquiry into humanity’s complex ties with the natural surroundings. Instead of delivering overt political commentary, it subtly questions who has the right to inhabit nature, who bears responsibility for it’s care, and who remains marginalized from these spaces.
An Immersive Botanical Environment Within Art
Breaking away from conventional exhibition styles, the Canadian pavilion is transformed into a living ecosystem. Carefully regulated humidity and temperature simulate the dense warmth of a tropical rainforest. Approximately one-third of this space features an elevated pond filled with dark water where lily pads float serenely.
This groundbreaking installation-entre chien et loup-is crafted by Montreal artist Abbas Akhavan. It reimagines Canada’s pavilion as an enormous Wardian case-a Victorian glass enclosure once used to transport exotic plants across continents during colonial times.
The centerpiece consists of Victoria water lilies whose seeds were sourced from London’s Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew. These seeds were cultivated in Italy’s orto Botanico di Padova-the oldest botanical garden globally-before being brought to Venice for this exhibition.
The Victoria Water Lily: A Living Link Between Empire and Ecology
The genus Victoria, dating back over 100 million years long before human civilizations emerged, was named during Queen Victoria’s reign when imperial powers collected flora worldwide as emblems of dominance. Akhavan employs this plant as a symbol reflecting colonial histories intertwined with scientific classification systems that often served imperial agendas.
“Empire is but a fleeting moment compared to nature’s deep timeline,” akhavan muses amid Venice’s rainy atmosphere.
This lily encapsulates layered stories about how natural marvels have been appropriated through wealth-driven access while provoking reflection on conservation efforts that sometimes prioritize elite interests over inclusive stewardship.
A Botanical Narrative Unfolding Over Time
Collaborating artist Lucy Smyth from Kew Gardens highlights Victoria boliviana, identified in Amazonian regions vulnerable to climate change such as Bolivia and Argentina. This flower exhibits an extraordinary life cycle: it blooms white at dusk for just one night; emits fragrances attracting beetles; traps them overnight; then changes color while shifting reproductive roles before releasing pollinators and submerging underwater to mature fruit.
The Legacy of Colonialism Embedded in Nature Exhibits
Akhavan presents this plant not only as botanical specimen but also as evidence tracing journeys shaped by possession-from South America through European royal gardens-to contemporary art venues like Venice. His work critiques how scientific endeavors can be complicit in systems of control disguised under conservation or cultural thankfulness:
“the globe has been charted like an exclusive garden reserved for those wealthy enough to live alongside nature-leaving many others increasingly alienated.”
The Symbolism Behind “Entre chien et loup”
The phrase translates roughly from French as “between dog and wolf,” poetically referring to twilight when distinctions blur between protector animals (dogs) and predators (wolves). This metaphor highlights ambiguous boundaries between guardianship versus exploitation within environmental power dynamics amid shifting global realities.
Curation Amidst Fierce Global Artistic Competition
The National Gallery of Canada commissioned this project under curator Kim Nguyen after selecting Akhavan unanimously among five national arts experts responsible for choosing Canada’s representative artist for 2026. Jean-François Bélisle-the gallery director-noted their attraction toward environmentally focused themes often overshadowed by geopolitical headlines:
“While chaos unfolds worldwide daily, we must not overlook urgent ecological conversations.”
Bélisle emphasized how challenging it is for artists competing at Venice where thousands participate across hundreds of exhibitions annually:
“Visitors typically spend mere seconds deciding whether artwork resonates enough-so creating something compelling yet subtle requires extraordinary skill.”
An Invitation To Reflect Slowly Within A Rapidly Moving Art Scene
This installation combines rigorous research with sensory immersion-a warm mist envelops visitors amidst floating lilies-and calls for patience rather than instant gratification common among Biennale attendees rushing through numerous displays each day. Its quiet intensity invites profound contemplation on humanity’s intertwined histories within natural environments instead of relying on spectacle or shock value prevalent elsewhere in contemporary art fairs today.
