Ireland at Venice – Minister Catherine Martin announces Irish representation at 61st Venice Art Biennale in 2026: artist Isabel Nolan

The Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports and Media, Catherine Martin T.D. has announced the selection of artist, Isabel Nolan, with Georgina Jackson and The Douglas Hyde Gallery of Contemporary Art as the curator, to represent Ireland at the 61st Venice Art Biennale in 2026.
The Venice Biennale is one of the most important international platforms for visual arts, attracting over half a million visitors, including global curators, gallerists, art critics, and artists. The selection of the team to represent Ireland was made following an open, competitive process, with international jury members.

Minister Martin, said:
“I would like to congratulate Isabel Nolan, Georgina Jackson and The Douglas Hyde Gallery on being selected to represent Ireland at the 2026 Venice Art Biennale. Isabel Nolan is recognised to be at the forefront of Irish visual arts practice. Participation at the Venice Art Biennale increases awareness of Ireland’s strong visual arts sector; it is also an important moment in an artist’s career. My Department, through Culture Ireland, commissions Ireland at Venice in partnership with the Arts Council.”

Artist Isabel Nolan’s exhibitions are rooted in big subjects: cosmology and deep history; religion and mythology; mortality and love. Working across sculpture, textiles, paintings, drawings, photography and writing, Nolan responds to the fundamental question of how humans bring the world into meaning. Her work has a remarkable capacity to speak to audiences, looking for ways to like, or even love, the complex world we’ve made. In 2027, this work will return to Ireland on a national tour, supported by the Arts Council, in a variety of venues across the island.

The selected artist, Isabel Nolan said:
“To represent Ireland in any sphere of cultural activity is a great privilege. To have my work in congregation with so many other artists is a rare opportunity; as is the occasion to reach such large audiences there, and at home with the national tour. Venice is an extraordinary city and to have the great fortune to realise this ambitious project with curator Georgina Jackson of The Douglas Hyde and producer Cian O’Brien is very exciting. Art has a strange and special capacity to make and test powerful kinds of community with shared knowledge and beauty, however temporary. The Venice Biennial is a stage like no other.”

Curator Georgina Jackson said:
“Artist Isabel Nolan is a leading light of contemporary Irish visual art. The Venice Biennale is an incredible platform to spotlight both her work and the vibrancy of Irish contemporary visual art, and connect to far reaching audiences. Showing Isabel’s work in Venice is a powerful proposition; motifs that recur in her work include arches, fallen chandeliers, surging waves and dying suns– imagery which will resonate dramatically in the Arsenale. I am honoured and excited to work with Isabel, producer Cian O’Brien, the team at The Douglas Hyde, Culture Ireland and The Arts Council to deliver Ireland at Venice 2026, and build on the legacy of successful previous pavilions.”


Éire sa Veinéis – Ionadaíocht na hÉireann ag 61ú Biennale Ealaíne na Veinéise in 2026 fógartha ag an Aire Catherine Martin: ealaíontóir Isabel Nolan

Tá fógartha ag an Aire Turasóireachta, Cultúir, Ealaíon, Gaeltachta, Spóirt agus Meán, Catherine Martin, T.D., gur roghnaíodh an t-ealaíontóir Isabel Nolan, le
Georgina Jackson agus The Douglas Hyde Gallery of Contemporary Art mar léiritheoir, chun ionadaíocht a dhéanamh ar Éirinn ag 61ú Biennale Ealaíne na Veinéise in 2026.

Tá Biennale na Veinéise ar cheann de na hardáin idirnáisiúnta is tábhachtaí do na hamharc-ealaíona, a mheallann os cionn leathmhilliún cuairteoir, ar a n-áirítear léiritheoirí idirnáisiúnta, lucht na ndánlann, criticeoirí ealaíne, agus ealaíontóirí. Roghnaíodh foireann ionadaíochta na hÉireann i ndiaidh próisis iomaíoch oscailte le moltóirí idirnáisiúnta.

Dúirt an tAire Martin:
“Ba mhaith liom mo chomhghairdeas a ghabháil le Isabel Nolan, Georgina Jackson agus The Douglas Hyde Gallery as a bheith roghnaithe chun ionadaíocht a dhéanamh ar Éirinn ag Biennale Ealaíne na Veinéise 2026. Tá aitheantas ar Isabel Nolan mar ealaíontóir ar thús cadhnaíochta i gcleachtas amharc-ealaíon na hÉireann. Méadaítear feasacht ar earnáil láidir amharc-ealaíon na hÉireann trí rannpháirtíocht in Biennale Ealaíne na Veinéise; is pointe tábhachtach i ngairm ealaíontóra é. Déanann mo Roinn, trí Chultúr Éireann, Éire sa Veinéis a choimisiúnú i gcomhar leis an gComhairle Ealaíon.”

Tá taispeántais an ealaíontóra Isabel Nolan fréamhaithe in ábhair mhóra: an chosmeolaíocht agus an stair dhomhain; an reiligiún agus an mhiotaseolaíocht; an bás agus an grá. Agus í ag obair sa dealbhóireacht, teicstílí, pictiúir, líníochtaí, an ghrianghrafadóireacht agus an scríbhneoireacht, tugann Nolan aghaidh ar cheisteanna faoi conas brí a chur sa domhain. Tá cumas iontach ag saothar s’aici dul i dteagmháil leis an phobal, agus iad ag iarraidh bealaí a aimsiú chun taitneamh a bhaint as an domhan chasta atá cruthaithe againn, nó fiú grá a bheith acu dó. In 2027, tiocfaidh an saothar seo ar ais go hÉirinn ar chamchuairt náisiúnta, arna tacú ag an Chomhairle Ealaíon, in ionaid éagsúla ar fud an oileáin.

Dúirt an t-ealaíontóir a roghnaíodh, Isabel Nolan:
“Is pribhléid mhór í ionadaíocht a dhéanamh ar Éirinn i réimse ar bith den ghníomhaíocht chultúrtha. Is deis annamh í mo shaothar a bheith ar taispeáint in éineacht leis an iliomad ealaíontóirí eile; chomh maith leis an tseans chun dul i dteagmháil le pobail mhóra ansin, agus sa bhaile leis an chamchuairt náisiúnta.
Cathair iontach í an Veinéis agus tá mé ar bís go bhfuil an t-ádh mór liom gur féidir liom an tionscadal uaillmhianach seo a thabhairt chun críche leis an léiritheoir Georgina Jackson ón Douglas Hyde agus an léiritheoir Cian O’Brien. Tá an cumas ait agus speisialta ag an ealaín cineálacha cumhachtacha pobal a chruthú agus a thástáil le heolas agus áilleacht chomhroinnte, is cuma cé chomh sealadach agus atá siad. Is stáitse é Biennale na Veinéise nach bhfuil a shárú ann.”

Dúirt an léiritheoir Georgina Jackson:
“Is duine de mhór-réaltaí amharc-ealaíona comhaimseartha na hÉireann í an t-ealaíontóir Isabel Nolan. Is ardán dochreidte é Biennale na Veinéise chun béim a leagan ar a saothar agus ar bheocht amharc-ealaíona comhaimseartha na hÉireann araon, agus chun ceangal a dhéanamh le pobail fhairsinge. Is fiontar cumhachtach é saothar Isabel a léiriú sa Veinéis; i measc na móitífeanna a thagann aníos go minic ina saothar tá áirsí, crainn solais thite, tonnta ag éirí tógtha agus grianta ag dul in éag – íomhánna a bheidh an-chumhachtach san Arsenale. Is mór an onóir agus ábhar scleondar dom a bheith in ann oibriú le Isabel, an léiritheoir Cian O’Brien, foireann The Douglas Hyde, Cultúr Éireann agus an Chomhairle Ealaíon chun Éire sa Veinéis 2026 a chur chun críche, agus chun cur le hoidhreacht na pailliúin rathúla a tharla roimhe seo.”


Image credits: (L to R) Emma Moore, Curator Georgina Jackson, Artist Isabel Nolan, Producer Cian O’Brien, Niamh Darling and Rachel McIntyre at The Douglas Hyde Gallery of Contemporary Art, Dublin, 2024. Photo: Ste Murray.