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At a noisy Venice Biennale, South-east Asian artists’ quiet voices redefine volume and impact
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Video still from The Spirits Of Maritime Crossing II (2024), directed by Thai artist and curator Apinan Poshyananda at the Venice Biennale 2026.
PHOTO: BANGKOK ART BIENNALE FOUNDATION
VENICE – At the 61st Venice Biennale, where traditionally dominant Western voices are beset by political turmoil, South-east Asian nations have seized the opportunity to assert their artistic voices. A new map of the region’s arts landscape, it seems, is actively being drawn at the single most important global contemporary art platform.
Ever since the region ramped up its appearance at the biennale in the early 2000s, its presence has been at best spotty – often victim to budget cuts.
