On Wednesday, 4 June, the Institut Ramon Llull starts the selection process of a project for the participation of Catalan culture within the Collateral Events programme of the 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia 2026. Artistic proposals can be submitted up to 20 June at 2 pm CET.

The theme of the Biennale Arte 2026, chosen by the recently deceased Koyo Kouoh, is In Minor Keys. The Biennale announced last week that it will retain the title and vision of the Cameroonian-Swiss curator for its 61st edition, to maintain her legacy. In Kouoh’s words: “In Minor Keys is an invitation to shift to a slower gear and tune in to the frequencies of the minor keys. Because, though often lost in the anxious cacophony of the present chaos raging through the world, the music continues. The songs of those producing beauty in spite of tragedy, the tunes of the fugitives recovering from the ruins, the harmonies of those repairing wounds and worlds”.

The selection process consists of two rounds. The first round is open to anyone who submits a proposal that meets the requirements described in the guidelines. In this first round, which will end on Wednesday, 20 June at 2 pm CET, applicants must submit a curriculum vitae and a proposal of no more than 3 pages outlining the general ideas of the project, as well as the administrative documentation detailed.

From there, a jury will select up to five proposals that will be invited to participate in a second round. This invitation will be issued starting on June 27, 2025.

In the second round, applicants will be asked to develop their proposal and the exhibition design of the space, as well as defending it in person before the Jury on 24 July 2025.

This year’s Jury is composed of:

Presidency:

• Pepe Serra, director of the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya (MNAC).

Specialist members:

• Cristina Anglada, independent curator and cultural manager; co-curator of the Opening section of ARCOmadrid 2023-2024 / 2024-2025.
• María Berríos, Director of Curatorial Programmes and Research at MACBA, Barcelona.
• Amanda de la Garza, Deputy Artistic Director of the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía; former-Director General of Visual Arts and the Museo Universitario Arte Contemporáneo (MUAC) of the UNAM, Mexico.
• Chus Martínez, Director of the Institut Art Gender Nature (IAGN) at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW), Basel; Artistic Director of the 36th edition of the Ljubljana Biennial of Graphic Arts.
• Filipa Ramos, Lecturer at the Institute Art Gender Nature (IAGN, FHNW Basel) and Artistic Director of the Loop Festival; Curator of the project "Catalonia in Venice | BESTIARI | Carlos Casas" at the Venice Art Biennale 2024.
• Eva Sòria, Director of Cultural Sectors, Barcelona Institut of Culture, Barcelona City Council.

The Institut Ramon Llull organises and produces the participation of Catalan culture within the Collateral Events programme of La Biennale di Venezia. It has been present at the Art Biennial since 2009 and at the Architecture Biennial since 2012.

You can find the procedures here.