VENICE.- The Ministry of National Heritage and Culture of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan announced Pakistan’s participation in the 61st International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia, marking the country’s second presence at one of the world’s most significant international platforms for contemporary art, following its inaugural National Pavilion in 2019.
"We are very excited to be back at La Biennale di Venezia, and thrilled that we will be able to showcase our rich and diverse cultural heritage, which makes Pakistan such a vibrant and inclusive country," stated Aurangzeb Khan Khichi, Federal Minister for National Heritage and Culture, while making the announcement.
Faiza Butt, a leading contemporary artist from Pakistan, has been selected to represent the country at the Biennale Arte 2026. The Ministry of National Heritage and Culture appointed Yaqoob Bangash as Commissioner of the National Participation and Beatriz Cifuentes Feliciano as Curator to work alongside Butt on the exhibition titled “Punj•AB – A Sublime Terrain,” to be presented in Venice from May 9 to November 22, at Ex Farmacia Solveni, located in the heart of the Dorsoduro Museum Mile, home to major institutions such as the Gallerie dell’Accademia, the Pinault Collection, and Punta della Dogana.
"I am honoured to serve as Commissioner for Pakistan’s National Pavilion at the Biennale Arte 2026. Pakistan’s participation reflects a serious commitment to international standards, and I am particularly impressed by Faiza Butt’s intellectually rigorous artistic vision and Beatriz Cifuentes Feliciano’s exceptional curatorial leadership, which together give the Pavilion clarity, coherence, and global resonance.” - Yaqoob Bangash, Commissioner
Faiza Butt, born in Lahore in 1973, is an artist trained at the National College of Arts and the Slade School of Fine Art, whose intricately crafted artworks explore photography, embroidery, and gender themes. Her work has been exhibited widely internationally and is held in major public and private collections, including the British Museum and the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art. Known for bringing historically marginalised art forms into the field of contemporary art, Butt’s work aligns with the broader ambitions of the project: to centre underrepresented artistic voices from Pakistan and to reframe practices relegated to craftsmanship as fully autonomous artistic languages.
“My curatorial approach foregrounds plural art histories, positioning contemporary art from Pakistan in dialogue with inherited traditions of making. Faiza Butt is central to this vision. Over decades, she has established herself as a rigorous contemporary voice, with a practice that brings material, history, and social consciousness into sustained conversation. Working with Faiza, the Pakistan Pavilion responds to the Biennale’s theme In Minor Keys by attending to forms of expression shaped through craft, process, and historical resonance —forms that endure quietly yet powerfully over time. Known for her paintings, drawings, and ceramic works, Faiza is now working collaboratively across media, experimenting with materials to explore labour, memory, and representation in ways that speak directly to the global contemporary discourse” explains Curator Beatriz Cifuentes Feliciano.
With “Punj•AB – A Sublime Terrain,” Butt explores Punjab—a historic region divided between India and Pakistan following the 1947 Partition— as a fractured yet resilient cultural landscape where history, spirituality, textiles, and women’s voices converge to preserve and reframe its living heritage for a global audience. Through this body of work, the artist both celebrates and brings renewed attention to Punjab’s rich cultural legacy.
The inaugural National Pavilion of Pakistan was featured at the Biennale Arte 2019 and subsequently included in the Biennale Architettura 2025, marking the country’s continued engagement with Venice’s foremost international art and architecture exhibitions and reaffirming the importance of La Biennale di Venezia as a vital global platform for cultural exchange.
