A Triptych of Underwater Theme Park, Religious Building and Wastewater Treatment Plant

Her performances navigate the space between spectacle and subversion, blending high culture with entertainment and combining elements of dance, performance, opera and theatre. The influential choreographer and performance artist Florentina Holzinger is representing Austria at the 61st Venice Biennale with the interdisciplinary project “SEAWORLD VENICE”, curated by Nora-Swantje Almes. 

PARNASS: Florentina Holzinger, you will be representing Austria at this year’s Art Biennale. What particularly attracted you to this?

Florentina Holzinger: A few years ago, shortly after the show “SANCTA”, the idea for the Biennale pavilion was born, with the performative moment at its heart. Although performance plays a central role in the visual arts, in Venice – in contrast to our stage shows – my ensemble and I will encounter a heterogeneous audience that may not expect living works of art and might perceive the presence of real bodies as a powerful confrontation. That interests me, just as much as engaging with a symbolic location such as the Austrian Pavilion.

P: Do you still consider national pavilions to be relevant today?

FH: In the Austrian art world, it’s nothing new to be critical of the state. At a time when there is a regression towards nationalist ideology, I see it as my duty to counteract this. I want to occupy the pavilion at the Biennale – with people who are an integral part of my work. This alone will counteract many nationalist tendencies, because the team is diverse. In doing so, questions are addressed such as: Who belongs in an Austrian pavilion, or indeed within the context of the visual arts?

P: Doesn’t the backdrop of Venice, alongside the pavilion, also provide a context steeped in history?

FH: I have repeatedly engaged with European cultural history. In this context, Venice is a key setting. The city is a symbol of decadence and beauty, but also of the transience of beauty. There has always been an apocalyptic atmosphere here, which has taken on a new dimension in the age of climate change.