Bodies, provocation and family at the Biennale

VENICE — Ten thousand visitors flocked to the Giardini on May 9, the opening day of the 2026 Venice Biennale. In sweltering heat, queues stretched for up to two hours outside the Austrian Pavilion, where Florentina Holzinger’s performance drew some of the longest waits of the day. Her work is physical, explicit and confrontational, and nudity plays a central role. Visitors who emerged reported stays ranging from five minutes to two full hours.

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