Memory and Basque contemporary creation meet in Venice

This year marks the fiftieth anniversary of the participation, in October 1976, of a group of Basque artists, filmmakers, musicians and poets in the Venice Biennale. To mark this milestone, from 6 to 8 May the city of Venice hosted I Baschi alla Biennale 1976/2026, a cultural initiative that combined contemporary creation with a look at the past.

Organised by the Basque Government, the Etxepare Basque Institute, the Basque Museum of Contemporary Art—Artium Museoa, and Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, the programme was carried out at three different venues.

For three days, visitors were able to view the case study curated by Artium Museoa. The exhibition featured audiovisual pieces presented as part of the Basque contribution to the 1976 Venice Biennale, as well as a documentary made at that time, along with sound archives. Contemporary Basque works were also on display, generating new interpretations and avenues for research. Two performances were also held as part of the case study: Irrintzi Repetición, by the artist Itziar Okariz, on 7 May; and Tripak Tokitik, by the Tripak collective, on 8 May.

On 7 May, the Auditorium Santha Margherita, former Cinema Moderno, hosted the academic symposium The Basque Country at the Venice Biennale, 1976: Remembering Forward, organised by Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, the Basque Museum of Contemporary Art—Artium Museoa and the Etxepare Basque Institute. This academic initiative brought together leading experts in the study of Basque art and examined Euskadi’s role in the international context through culture, art and thought. Speakers included Joseba Zulaika, Miren Vadillo, Peio Aguirre, Beñat Sarasola and Leire Vergara. The conference concluded with a performance by the Tripak collective.

In addition, the Scuola Grande San Giovanni Evangelista theatre served as the institutional centrepiece of the cultural programme on 7 May, with the opening ceremony led by Ibone Bengoetxea, Deputy Prime Minister of the Basque Government.