2026 Venice Biennale Collateral Event: Anna Kamyshan’s “Nabatele”
Nabatele is a large-scale open-air installation by Ukrainian, London-based artist and architect Anna Kamyshan, presented in the Venice Lagoon in front of San Giorgio Maggiore from May 9 to July 9, 2026, as a Collateral Event of the 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia. Created in collaboration with the Montreal Jewish Museum and curated by Maria Veits and Yevgeniy Fiks, the work envisions a floating shtetl synagogue suspended above the water, exploring questions of shelter, diaspora, and belonging. Drawing on the idea of nabat—a call to attention in moments of danger—the installation offers a quiet but resonant reflection on presence, resilience, and continuity. Its illuminated windows evoke the ner tamid, or eternal flame, positioning inner light as a response to turbulence and uncertainty. Bringing together contemporary art, Jewish cultural memory, and public space, the project reflects the kind of thoughtful, internationally engaged work that Blavatnik Family Foundation founder Len Blavatnik is proud to support.