Biennale di Venezia 2026

Scale as big as the Indian subcontinent, yet as intricate as the most delicate craftwork. Borrowing from local material traditions, the artists of the India Pavilion have elevated their work into universal statements about what it means to be home. Each in their own way takes on the subject of displacement and migration, while retaining memory of place. 

Like a fading, eroded memory of a home long abandoned, Sumakshi Singh “created ‘Permanent Address,’ a diaphanous, actual-scale architectural replica of her grandparents' 1952 Delhi refugee home stitched entirely from delicate translucent thread and embroidery.” Seemingly broken and see-through at first, this image of home creates an immersive installation, that as you experience it it becomes a dream-like glide through memory. One can imagine the artist walking through her grandparents’ home in the vestiges of her mind, piecing together bits of experiences, allowing her mind to fill in the gaps, cherishing the good memories of place and family. Unbelievable to see, the construction in stunning detail. The filaments, light and delicate, speak to the fragility of connection and memory, as if any day one could altogether forget the images of childhood. Reinforcing memories through conversation and storytelling, and artwork such as this installation, is required to insure the past does not fade.

Monumental. Immersive. Striking. Inviting. Vibrant. Brilliant. Ranjani Shettar “created ‘Under the Same Sky,’ featuring hand-woven cotton, steel, and lacquer botanical forms suspended in space.” One does not run out of adjectives to describe this installation. This is a joyous work stating that our home is in nature. Combining slow craft, choreography of installation, and scale, Shettar achieves a masterful experience and creates an impactful memory in the viewer.

Simplicity loaded with meaning. Alwar Balasubramaniam (Bala) “created ‘Not Just For Us,’ a cracked-earth and soil installation using clay from his ancestral home and studio in Tamil Nadu to explore land fragility and memory.” Home is land. Home is nature. And home is fragile. Unmistakable metaphor, transporting earth from his ancestral home, creating a compelling installation, one that allows the viewer to be transported, dream and respond to the work according to one’s own experience. Universal.

Built in situ, using traditional building materials and techniques, this installation by Waqif is a reel of commentaries ranging from loss of traditional craft labor, to the unfinished business of creating your home, to urban change and transition, to consumerism and waste. Asim Waqif “created ‘Chaal,' a dense, immersive architectural structure built using traditional bamboo and reed weaving that addresses sustainability and fading craft labor.” 

Community. Reduced impact to environment. Shared home. Generational family home. Local materials. These are all themes that are becoming more and more important as technology changes the world experience we live in. No longer can we rely on local knowledge directing the most appropriate way to build and live. Globalism reigns the day. And humanity suffers because of it. Look to this installation to propel your thoughts towards your impact on the world, your own community, and how you could consider leaving a better world that what you have found. Skarma Sonam Tashi “created ‘Echoes of Home,’ using recycled cardboard, clay, and papier-mâché to model traditional Ladakhi domestic architecture and community.”

by John C. Clements

ThinkArtMagazine.com

In association with Arroscia Residency

Photos: John C. Clements and Nicola Parente