(Future) Paradise Gardens, curated by Samuel Leuenberger, marks the 10th edition of Biennale Gherdëina, taking place in Ortisei and other locations in Val Gardena, in the Dolomites, Italy, from May 31 to September 13, 2026.
The opening will take place across a range of venues in Val Gardena on Saturday, May 30, 2026 (press preview: Thursday, May 28, 2026; international press tour starting Wednesday, May 27, 2026).
This forthcoming edition represents a landmark moment in the history of Biennale Gherdëina, proudly celebrating its tenth iteration and introducing new major national and international collaborations.
Amid the Dolomites, Biennale Gherdëina 10: (Future) Paradise Gardens invites visitors into terrains both tender and turbulent, where gardens become symbols of survival, love, and the possibility of a just future.
Samuel Leuenberger states: The Dolomites provide an inspiring backdrop, rich in natural beauty, artisanal traditions, and timeless mountain narratives — an ideal setting to explore the concept of (Future) Paradise Gardens. These gardens, existing at the intersection of raw natural grandeur and human cultivation, are envisioned not only as sanctuaries for flora and fauna but also as spaces reflecting our collective aspirations for a future grounded in justice and equality. Here, gardens can nourish both body and spirit, serving as places of refuge, possibility, and renewal for all.
The exhibition is structured into distinct chapters, each examining a different facet of the human-made construct we call the garden. Symbolically, metaphorically, and emotionally, the themes center around notions of Commoning, where growing and sharing food, alongside caretaking and preserving traces of all life, are given priority. Another chapter, titled Divine Love and Growth, invites contemplation of the garden as a symbol of spiritual flourishing and transcendence.... read the rest of the article»
The exhibition further explores the concept of the Violent Garden, addressing the urgent need to decolonize the garden by challenging anthropocentric views and creating space for animals and nature to reclaim agency. A chapter on Queer Ecology expands the conversation on diversity and fluidity within ecological systems. Additionally, the project investigates the Botanical, concerning the ordering and classification of plant specimens, alongside Gardens as Spaces for Reflection and Poetry, where gardens become sites of introspection, beauty, and creative imagination.
Artists participating in Biennale Gherdëina 10 include Chanelle Adams, Andrius Arutiunian, Jacopo Belloni, Alice Bucknell, Leonardo Bürgi, Giulia Cenci, Dorota Gaweda and Eglė Kulbokaitė, Sandra Knecht, Judith Neunhäuserer, Walter Niedermayr, Masatoshi Noguchi, Gabriela Oberkofler, Lydia Ourahmane, Gregor Prugger and Leonora Prugger, Ana Prvacki, Augustas Serapinas, Bas Smets and Eliane Le Roux, Bosco Sodi, Constantin Thun, Kelly Tissot, Alvaro Urbano, Yuyan Wang, Evelyn Taocheng Wang, Pedro Wirz and Michael Marder.
A major highlight of this edition is Dormancy by Italian artist Jacopo Belloni, one of the recipients of the 14th edition of the Italian Council (2025). The project was first presented at Halle Nord in Geneva in the exhibition Jardins Défiants (Defiant Gardens), curated by Elise Lammer, and will further develop in Italy for Biennale Gherdëina 10 before entering the permanent collection of GAMeC – Galleria d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea di Bergamo.
Biennale Gherdëina 10 also inaugurates a major collaboration with Kaunas Biennial, launching a two-year exchange program supported by the Italian Ministry of Culture and the Lithuanian Culture Institute. In parallel, the long-standing collaboration with Museion – Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Bolzano/Bozen continues, hosting the first solo exhibition in Italy by Evelyn Taocheng Wang.
To mark the milestone 10th edition, a special anniversary publication will be released, tracing the Biennale’s journey since 2008 and celebrating its role as a catalyst for artistic innovation and cultural dialogue.
Biennale Gherdëina is an international contemporary art festival founded in 2008 and organized by Zënza Sëida, a non-profit cultural association dedicated to promoting contemporary art as a vital resource for social well-being and dialogue between tradition and innovation.
Title: Biennale Gherdëina 10
(Future) Paradise Gardens
Opening: May 31, 2026
Ending: September 13, 2026
Organization: Zënza Sëida
Curator: Samuel Leuenberger
Place: Ortisei e Val Gardena, sedi diffuse
Address: Pontives 8 - 39046 Ortisei (BZ)
Opening: Saturday, May 30, 2026
Duration: May 31 – September 13, 2026
More info on this website: https://www.biennalegherdeina.it
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