The Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art in Helsinki has selected Sweden-based sculptor Klara Kristalova, Finnish sculptor Benjamin Orlow, and Norwegian artist Tori Wrånes to represent the Nordic countries at the Venice Biennale 2026. The selection was made in collaboration with Moderna Museet in Stockholm and the Office for Contemporary Art in Oslo.
Designed by Norwegian architect Sverre Fehn and completed in 1962, the Nordic pavilion has functioned since then as a collaborative art exhibition space for Finland, Sweden, and Norway, with each country rotating as the principal commissioner. For the 2026 edition, Finnish museum Kiasma is at the helm, with the museum’s chief curator, Anna Mustonen, organizing the exhibition. “The exhibition invites visitors to journey through a dynamic interplay of imagination and reality that bridges Nordic cultural heritage with broader global contexts,” said Mustonen.
The trio of artists, each known for their experimental approaches to sculpture and installation, will integrate Nordic mythologies with global issues such as identity, cultural survival, and gender equality. Kristalova, born in Prague in 1967 and residing in Norrtälje, Sweden, is recognized for her glazed ceramic sculptures that often feature fairy-tale-like imagery. Orlow, born in Turku, Finland, in 1984 and based in London, focuses on human interaction with the environment through video, installation, and sculpture. Wrånes, who is Norwegian and based in Oslo, often incorporates music into her sculpture practice to create immersive environments.
“In addition to geographical proximity, the Nordic countries have long shared a common cultural heritage,” said Kiira Miesmaa, director of Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art and commissioner of the Nordic Pavilion 2026. “The shared artistic cooperation reinforces our values and the role of art in society.”
For the 60th Venice Biennale, Swedish artist and Artsy Vanguard 2021 alum Lap-See Lam worked alongside artist Kholod Hawash from Finland and composer Tze Yeung Ho from Norway to stage a massive music installation at the Nordic pavilion. In 2022, the Nordic pavilion was transformed into the Sámi Pavilion, acknowledging the Indigenous people that live in the northern regions of Scandinavia and Russia. This exhibition featured a selection of Sámi artists, including Máret Ánne Sara, who was recently tapped for the 10th Turbine Hall commission at the Tate Modern.
The 61st Venice Biennale is scheduled from May 9th to November 22, 2026. Artists confirmed for national pavilions include Zanzibar-born artist Lubaina Himid for the United Kingdom, choreographer Florentina Holzinger for Austria, French Moroccan artist Yto Barrada for France’s pavilion, and 31-year-old artist Maja Malou Lyse for Denmark’s pavilion. Koyo Kouoh, the executive director and chief curator at Cape Town’s Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz MOCAA), will curate the main exhibition.
