Wales in Venice with Sownd: the Cymru yn Fenis project at the Biennale 2026

The relationship between Wales and Venice takes center stage on the international contemporary art scene with the new participation of Cymru yn Fenis / Wales in Venice as a collateral event of the Venice Biennale 2026. The project thus returns to the lagoon after its previous presence in 2019 and marks Wales’ tenth participation in the prestigious international festival dedicated to the visual arts.

The focus of the new edition is Sownd: Manon Awst + Dylan Huw, an exhibition featuring artists Manon Awst and Dylan Huw together with a group of collaborators, under the curatorship of Steffan Jones-Hughes. The project is realized with the support of the Oriel Davies and Oriel Myrddin galleries, which contribute to the construction of an exhibition itinerary designed to dialogue with the Venetian context and the Biennale’s international audience.

The venue chosen for the presentation represents a first for the Cymru yn Fenis project. The exhibition is in fact held at theIstituto Santa Maria della Pietà, a monumental complex dating back to the 14th century located in the Castello district, a short distance from the Riva degli Schiavoni and easily accessible from both the Giardini della Biennale and the Arsenale. It is scheduled to open to the public from Saturday, May 9 to Sunday, Nov. 22, 2026, with free admission.

The Sownd project is presented as a collaborative sculptural environment that explores the relationships between language, landscape and matter. The work is conceived as a single continuous installation in which organic materials, found objects, texts, and sound and architectural interventions are interwoven in response to the historic space of the Santa Maria della Pietà Institute. According to the artists’ vision, each element within the work takes on a sculptural dimension, including the language itself, resulting in an environment in which form and meaning are inseparable.

The curatorial and artistic approach is developed through a poetic and associative logic that collects and assembles diverse fragments into a kind of living exhibition. The project also includes materials and contributions from a parallel, site-responsive program developed in Wales during the opening period of the Art Biennale 2026, thus creating an ongoing dialogue between the two geographical contexts.

The term Sownd, in the Cymraeg (Gaelic) language, encapsulates a dual meaning that refers to both the idea of “stuck” and the idea of “solid and fundamental.” This linguistic ambivalence becomes the conceptual starting point for the entire project, which investigates the tension between stability and fragility. Through this key, the artists address the theme of how landscapes and languages, particularly minority languages, can become spaces of resistance but also vulnerability.

Awst and Huw’s research focuses in particular on Welsh bogs, unstable and sticky natural environments that hold within them deep layers of organic matter and cultural memory. These landscapes become a layered metaphor through which the artists explore the sedimentation of linguistic, cultural and ecological history, relating natural elements and processes of social transformation. The collaboration between the two artists also fits into the tradition of collective practice related to the Welsh territory and its rich oral poetic heritage. The intent is to build connections across geographical boundaries, activating a dialogue between different cultures and landscapes through the language of contemporary art.

In commenting on participating in the project, Manon Awst emphasized the personal and professional value of the experience, "I was still an architecture student during the first Wales in Venice side event in 2003, but that exhibition inspired me to think beyond disciplinary boundaries and gave me the confidence to consider myself both a Welsh and international artist. Being selected for Cymru yn Fenis is a dream come true, and I am thrilled to be working with Dylan, Oriel Davies and Oriel Myrddin on this collaborative project that aims to stimulate dialogue between the diverse landscapes of Wales."

Dylan Huw also highlighted the deeply collaborative nature of the work, "It was the greatest creative thrill of my life to bring Sownd to fruition, in collaboration with Manon and the project’s many collaborators. Our plans for the exhibition really came to life when we first encountered the historic architecture of the Pieta and were enormously enriched by the sensitivity of the collaborators here in Northwest Wales."

Curator Steffan Jones-Hughes, who also serves as Oriel Davies’ Co-Creative Director, highlighted the collaboration between the two Welsh institutions involved, emphasizing the desire to create a project capable of connecting Wales and Venice across language, culture and geographic space. “Oriel Davies and Oriel Myrddin are delighted to collaborate on this collateral event at the 61st International Art Exhibition - La Biennale di Venezia. This will be a presentation that connects Wales and Venice in a unique way, across our language, culture and geographic space, and we look forward to sharing more details about the nature of the work as we get closer to the exhibition date. We want the exhibition to be truly accessible to both international art audiences and local communities here in Wales. Manon Awst is one of our most exciting artists and, working with Dylan Huw and their collaborators, we are determined to make this exhibition truly generous in its engagement with artists, scientists, ecologists and the public.”

Catherine Spring, Co-Creative Director of Oriel Myrddin, also expressed enthusiasm for the collaboration, "I am thrilled to collaborate with Manon, Dylan and Oriel Davies. With the recent reopening of Oriel Myrddin after a major renovation, our involvement in Cymru yn Fenis marks an exciting new chapter for the gallery. We are proud and excited to support the creative vision and direction of this presentation with its multilingual and multidisciplinary approach."

Wales in Venice with Sownd: the Cymru yn Fenis project at the Biennale 2026

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