India, presenting an official national pavilion with its vibrant artists’ line-up at La Biennale di Venezia after 2019, will present under the theme of ‘Geographies of Distance: Remembering Home’ at the Arsenale from May 9 to November 22, 2026.
The pavilion, presented by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, in collaboration with the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) and Serendipity Arts Foundation, aims to showcase modern India with its rich cultural heritage, a prospering economy, and a vibrant international diaspora. Amin Jaffer, the curator and director of the Al Thani Collection, an art historian and critic of Indian descent born in Rwanda, will curate the pavilion. The artist line-up will include Alwar Balasubramaniam, Sumakshi Singh, Ranjani Shettar, Asim Waqif, and Skarma Sonam Tash.
In a press release, Union Minister of Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat discussed the participation, stating that India’s return to the Venice Biennale “is a proud moment of reflection and a statement of cultural confidence.” The national pavilion would present a modern India that is “deeply rooted in its civilisational memory while fully engaged with the world today,” he continued, reflecting on the artwork in the pavilion. The statement continued, explaining that it “will express how, for those whose lives are shaped by change or distance, home becomes less a fixed place and more a portable condition: part memory, part material, part ritual, part personal mythology”, adding more details about the theme.
“The 61st International Art Exhibition, themed ‘In Minor Keys’, offers a poignant opportunity to explore the nuances of distance and the enduring power of memories of home. The India Pavilion brings together artists whose practices reflect the experience of a world in constant change, curator Amin Jaffer said. “The pavilion explores home not as a fixed physical location, but as an emotional space carried within the self, a repository of culture, personal mythology and emotion. Using materials associated closely with Indian civilisation, the chosen artists create a singular meditation on the fragile nature of home, which is both personal and universal, quiet and resolute, Jaffer added.
Several additional Indian art exhibitions have also been scheduled to take place concurrently with the curatorial event. Artist Nalini Malani’s pieces will be on display at the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, while Dayanita Singh’s photographs will be on display at the Archivio Stato (Venice State Archive) from April 16 to July 31. Artist Amar Kanwar will display two of his multi-media installations at the Palazzo Grassi during the “Co-Travellers” exhibition, which runs from March 29, 2026, to January 10, 2027.
In parallel with the show, the pavilion will host a carefully planned program of poetry, music, performance, and discussion to provide visitors with a comprehensive understanding of India’s modern cultural expression on the international stage.
Contributor
