16 Oct 2026
As the 2026 Venice Biennale enters its final months, preparations are underway for Aotearoa New Zealand's participation in the 62nd International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia in 2028.
The Arts Council of New Zealand Toi Aotearoa (Creative New Zealand) has now opened applications for the selection of an artist and curator partnership to represent Aotearoa at one of the world’s leading visual arts events.
The Commissioner for New Zealand at Venice 2028 and Chair of the Arts Council, Kent Gardner, says,
“The Venice Biennale is a unique and significant international platform for artists from Aotearoa New Zealand to present their work to audiences from around the world, and for professional development, cross-cultural exchange and learning. Creative New Zealand is proud to have have been supporting artists and curators to present their work at la Biennale for 25 years.”
NZ at Venice 2028 follows Aotearoa New Zealand's successful participation in the 2026 Venice Biennale, where celebrated photographer Fiona Pardington (Kāi Tahu, Kāti Mamoe, Ngāti Kahungunu, Clan Cameron of Erracht), ONZM, presented her exhibition Taharaki Skyside. The exhibition continues to receive widespread international acclaim, including recognition by The Times as one of the seven best pavilions at the Biennale. At the 2024 Venice Biennale, Mataaho Collective, a group of four wāhine Māori practitioners, won the Golden Lion for Best Participant in the International Exhibition.
This opportunity is for an artist and curator team with a distinctive idea that can speak from Aotearoa to an international audience as part of our national pavilion.
The selected artist and curator team will work alongside Creative New Zealand and a delivery partner to develop and deliver new work in the context of Aotearoa New Zealand's national presentation. The 62nd International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia will run from May to November 2028.
Creative New Zealand expects to announce the delivery partner for NZ at Venice 2028 shortly.
Looking ahead to Aotearoa New Zealand’s participation in the 2030 Venice Biennale, Creative New Zealand will announce an open-call process to appoint a 2030 delivery partner in the first quarter of 2027, with an artist selection timeline to be published at the same time.
Creative New Zealand is committed to an open-call selection process that is fair, transparent and robust.
The expression of interest process is open from Thursday 15 October 2026.
Key dates
- Stage One - Expression of interest opens: Thursday, 15 October 2026
- Stage One - Expression of interest closes: 1:00 PM (NZ time) on Thursday, 12 November 2026
- Stage Two - Application closes: 1:00 PM (NZ time) on Thursday, 26 November 2026