Shapes of Silence: Ethiopia Pavilion at the Venice Biennale 2026

Shapes of Silence – Ethiopia Pavilion at the Venice Biennale 2026

Artist: Tegene Kunbi

Curator: Abebaw Ayalew

Dates: 9 May 2026 – 22 November 2026

Shapes of Silence presents a new chapter in Tegene Kunbi’s practice. Using layered painting, textiles and assemblage, Kunbi juxtaposes everyday fabrics and ritual garments to explore silence not as emptiness but as a charged surface shaped by history, cultural expectations and power relations.

What to expect

The works on display combine canvases and textile fragments—from handmade family fabrics to mass-produced cloths and sacred garments—creating painted surfaces where different material histories collide. Kunbi treats painting as a material archive, where meaning arises from duration, proximity and physical layering rather than explanatory text.

Why it matters

The exhibition probes silence as a social and political condition: it can be a cultural virtue, an act of caution or a means of exclusion. The works expose inequalities in voice and interpretive authority, inviting viewers to consider connections between memory, identity and power through material and aesthetic strategies.

Practical information

• Venue: Palazzo Bollani – Ethiopia Pavilion
• Address: Castello 3647, Venice
• Opening hours: Tuesday–Sunday 11:00–18:00
• Admission: free
• Promoters: Ethiopian Ministry of Tourism; Embassy of Ethiopia in Italy; with the contribution of Primo Marella Gallery
• Official website: http://ethiopianpavilion.com

Visitor tips

The exhibition is part of the 61st International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia. Check opening times on the official site and consider visiting during less crowded hours to appreciate the tactile and layered qualities of the works. The installation rewards slow looking: spend time with the surfaces to grasp how material relationships generate meaning.