Pavilion of the San Marino Republic at the 61st International Art Exhibition announces Sea of Sound
La Biennale di Venezia 2026
May 09 – November 22, 2026

In 2026, the San Marino Pavilion will be hosted in a new venue located between the Arsenale and the Giardini: Tana Art Space (Fondamenta de la Tana No. 2111), a former timber and coal warehouse that has been transformed into a space dedicated to art and culture.

The San Marino Pavilion is conceived and organised by FR Istituto d’Arte Contemporanea S.p.A., a San Marino-based company founded by Roberto Felicetti, Vincenzo Rotondo, and Alessandro Bianchini, with the support of the Secretariat of State for Education and Culture and under the supervision of Valentina Garavini, serving as Commissioner.

“As soon as the theme of the Biennale, In Minor Keys, by Koyo Kouoh and her team was revealed, Mark Francis’ choice immediately struck me as natural and appropriate, as it was fully consistent, both semantically and metaphorically, with the Northern Irish artist’s most recent projects, entitled Soundscapes, Acoustic Ocean and Harmonic Field”, says curator Luca Tommasi. “In Minor Keys is an expression borrowed from music that signifies a mode of performance in a minor key, and which aims to extend the concept from the purely musical realm to the need for human beings to reconnect with the frequencies of their own souls, to refine and amplify their ability to hear whispers and voices that are fainter than the dominant narrative, acting as a tuning fork capable of restoring balance and harmony.”

Since the 1990s, Mark Francis has developed a body of work focused primarily on abstract painting. A sonic and emotional experience that translates into works that evoke auditory sensations through visual representation, in a synaesthetic and multisensory dimension. The title Sea of Sound alludes to the vastness of sounds and frequencies in which we are immersed and our ability to intercept, select and interpret them in personal experiences, including through the filter of emotion.

The Pavilion will be divided into two rooms: in the entrance hall, a projection entitled Listening Field will lead the viewer into the artist’s world of images; in the second room, a carefully curated selection of large-format paintings, created in oil on canvas or aluminium, will allow the viewer to delve deeper into his research.

“Although my work is abstract in nature, it is conceptually guided by ideas inspired by science, sound and colour. Instead of replicating these ideas, I have always allowed myself to lose myself in the creative process, giving life to new and imagined forms. My practice focuses primarily on painting, but I have also explored other media, such as graphic art and sculpture. Now that I am expanding my research into the moving image, I look forward to sharing this new direction at the 2026 Art Biennale“, says artist Mark Francis.

The Pavilion logo originates from a painting, overlaid with the three iconic towers of Mount Titano, propagators of waves of freedom, independence and creativity. Privileged listening points and acoustic refuges above that “sea of sounds” evoked by the artist.

more. www.biennaleveneziasanmarino.com