Pavilion of the Kingdom of Morocco at the 61st Edition of the Venice Biennale 2026

Morocco Pavilion: a sensory epic and a living memory

For its historic participation at the heart of the Arsenale, Morocco unveils “Asǝṭṭa”, a monumental installation by Amina Akznay. Supervised by Maryam Barada, this project constitutes an in-depth reflection on the sustainability of heritage and the transmission of ancestral know-how. Designed to occupy the historic space of the Artillery Hall, the project enters into dialogue with the site to explore the concept of shared memory, not as a fixed remnant of the past, but as a living and renewable material.

The architecture of the installation is structured around the symbolism of the “embrasure”, a space of passage, transformation, and reception, echoing the general theme chosen by the curator, “In Minor Keys”. It is an invitation to celebrate interstitial spaces, subtle details, and the finesse of non-verbalized transmission.

A pavilion shaped by the echoes of a shared memory

At the heart of the Arsenale, “Asǝṭṭa”, an Amazigh term designating ritual weaving, goes beyond the purely artistic dimension to embody an intimate relationship with the land and with roots. The installation becomes a receptacle for ancestral movements and distant sounds that continue to nourish artisanal practices in Morocco. It celebrates the manual act as a gesture of resistance and cultural preservation.

The Moroccan pavilion offers a delicate and subtle presence, faithful to the concept of “In Minor Keys”. By diverting attention from dominant grand narratives, it places emphasis on murmurs, hidden practices, and tangible memories. Through “Asǝṭṭa”, a complete geography of the invisible is revealed: a network of knowledge transmitted silently, from hand to hand, from generation to generation, weaving Moroccan identity.

“The heritage is living matter, and innovation is its breath” — Amina Akznay

Amina Akznay: weaver of movements and narratives

For more than twenty years, Amina Akznay has developed an artistic approach deeply rooted in Moroccan craftsmanship and popular practices. Trained in architecture, she conceives her works as inhabited spaces, where dimensions, rhythm, and materials harmonize with the exhibition site.

Through workshops, residencies, and field missions, she collaborates with local communities: weavers, embroiderers, mat artisans, jewelers, trainers, and master craftsmen. Her installations, from “Noise” to “Curriculum Vitae”, bear witness to her interest in traditional movements and the invisible transmission of know-how.

Her works are distinguished by a “discreet monumentality”, with each braid, fiber, or stitch carrying a story and a space of silence, exploring the link between land, body, memory, and natural landscape.

“Asǝṭṭa”: a second skin for the memory of the place

The project explores the concept of the “threshold”, that space between interior and exterior, private and public, sacred and profane, a key element of Moroccan vernacular architecture. Here, the threshold becomes an inhabited space and a site of living transition.

Maryam Barada specifies that “Asǝṭṭa” pays tribute to these often invisible talents, bearers of ancestral know-how, by inscribing them within a space of living transmission, where craftsmanship is not a frozen relic but an active form of thought and a renewed visual language. It is a living archaeology of gestures transmitted and transformed, continuously at work within contemporary creation.

A creative collaboration: a shared weaving

Since their first collaboration in 2018 on the project “Noise”, Amina Akznay and Maryam Barada have shared a passion for manual work and heritage-based forms. Maryam Barada describes Amina’s works as imbued with a strong human presence: hands, narratives, and fidelity to Moroccan regions.

The pavilion will be open to the public from May 9 to November 22, 2026, at the Arsenale in Venice.

About the Morocco Pavilion

As part of its policy to promote the arts and contemporary creation, the Kingdom of Morocco seeks to strengthen the international visibility of its artists. The Moroccan pavilion at the 2026 Biennale illustrates this dynamic, combining cultural identity with openness to the world.

The pavilion’s commissioner, Mohamed Beniacoub, explains:

“The artistic and philosophical proposal of the Morocco Pavilion consists in weaving links between tradition and innovation, between narratives and memory.”

In harmony with the theme “In Minor Keys”, the Moroccan pavilion aspires to be a space of dialogue and resonance, fully integrating Moroccan creativity into international artistic dynamics.

About the artists

Amina Akznay (born in 1963 in Casablanca) is a multidisciplinary artist combining architecture, reinterpreted traditional media, and collective practice. Trained in architecture in the United States, she dedicates her practice to exploring traditional Moroccan crafts, from collaborative workshops to museum installations. Her works have been exhibited in numerous international institutions, blending design, architecture, craftsmanship, and fieldwork.

Meriam Berrada (born in 1986 in Fez) is an exhibition curator and a graduate of the MoMA/CCL Curatorial Institute, specializing in creative expressions in Africa and the Arab world, with a particular interest in the intersections between art and craftsmanship. She directs the MACAAL in Marrakech and coordinates training programs for young professionals in the museum field.

Editorial team/le7tv (Translated Press Release)