Florentina Holzinger
61st Biennale di Venezia, Italy
9 May - 22 November 2026
Florentina Holzinger will represent Austria at the 61st Biennale di Venezia in 2026. Curated by Nora-Swantje Almes, Holzinger’s project – under the working title SeaWorld Venice – explores feminist themes and evolving representations of female corporeality, drawing on mythological water creatures to imagine new futures for Venice. Holzinger’s project SeaWorld Venice will transform the Pavilion into a dynamic, multi-sensory environment. Known for her genre-defying practice that uses the body as both subject and medium, Holzinger draws on her long-standing research into water to imagine new ways of living, resisting and transforming. Combining dance, theatre and performance, she approaches water as both symbol and element — a site where nature and technology meet. The project features a monumental water installation within the Pavilion and a series of site-specific performances across Venice and its lagoon. Inspired by figures such as Ophelia, sirens and mermaids, SeaWorld Venice reimagines Venice as a feminist, amphibious city confronting the climate crisis through resilience and collective transformation. Phileas and our initiated Friends of the Austrian Pavilion are supporting Holzinger and her team in their artistic vision, alongside core funding from the Ministry of Culture.
Florentina Holzinger (born 1986 in Vienna) is a choreographer and artist whose work blurs the boundaries between dance, theatre and performance art. Known for her physically demanding and visually striking productions, she examines identity, femininity and power through the lens of the performing body. Drawing on traditions from Viennese Actionism to ballet, cabaret and stunt work, Holzinger reimagines the female body as a site of resistance and transformation. She has presented acclaimed works across major international stages and festivals, including Wiener Festwochen, Ruhrtriennale, Volksbühne Berlin and Theatertreffen.
This is Florentina Holzinger’s second collaboration with Phileas, following her project at Bergen Kunsthall, Norway in 2024.