Early-career artists chosen to represent Wales at Venice Biennale

Nineteen early-career artists, curators and students are set to benefit from professional development opportunities at Wales in Venice.

The Arts Council of Wales has announced the 19-strong team of individuals who will travel to Venice this summer to support Wales’ presence at the 61st International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia, running from 9 May to 22 November 2026, as part of the Invigilator + programme.

Cymru yn Fenis/Wales in Venice is commissioned and managed by Arts Council of Wales and Wales Arts International with support and collaboration from the Welsh Government and British Council.

These early career artists, curators and students will spend at least one month in Venice, acting as ambassadors for the Wales in Venice exhibition, an official collateral event.

Manon Awst, Dylan Huw and collaborators will represent Cymru yn Fenis / Wales in Venice 2026 with Sownd, an exhibition jointly led by two Welsh galleries, Oriel Myrddin in Carmarthen and Oriel Davies in Newtown. Steffan Jones-Hughes from Oriel Davies will serve as Curator, and Catherine Spring of Oriel Myrddin as Exhibition Project Director, with both acting as Co-Creative Directors.

The invigilators, selected from an open call are: Lily Tonkin Wells, Robert Oros, Ophelia dos Santos, Grace Springer, Cerian Wilshire Davies, Megan Evans, Howl Hubbard, Temeka Davies, Llyr Evans, Chloe Goodwin, Abby Pouslon and Niamh O’Dobhain.

Building on the success of the Higher Education partnership working with Cardiff School of Art & Design at Cardiff Metropolitan University, Swansea College of Art at University of Wales Trinity St David and the School of Creative Arts, Wrexham University, this year Aberystwyth University have also joined the programme.

Student team members, appointed by Arts Council of Wales with University Partners, are: Pablo Negre and
Alice Needham from Cardiff School of Art – Cardiff Metropolitan University, Em Dorion and Eve Slatter from Swansea College of Art – University of Wales Trinity St David, Leah Hardy from Wrexham University, Hannah Hannon-Worthington and Lilly James from Aberystwyth University.

The story so far

During the training sessions in Studio Cadnant in Caernarfon, the group had a valuable opportunity to meet with Manon Awst & Dylan Huw and learn more about their practice and their plans for the exhibition.

Louise Wright, Head of Visual Arts at Arts Council Wales said: “Congratulations to all the individuals on being selected. They will play an important role in terms of Wales’ overall welcome, both in engaging with visitors and supporting the exhibition itself.

“They will also get the chance to immerse themselves in the wider Biennale environment through this professional development programme. This is an experience many former participants tell us was unforgettable, giving them that hands-on insight into what it takes to showcase art at the Venice Biennale.”

Dylan Huw, one of the lead artists this year took part in the Invigilator + programme back in 2019, and said:“I benefited massively from being part of Invigilator+ on Sean Edwards’ Undo Things Done in 2019. The programme opens up so many opportunities.

“There’s the hands-on experience of caring for work, and of interacting with international publics as an ambassador of Wales’ artistic community. And then there’s the networks it creates with artists and workers from all over the world, and an immersion in the very centre of the contemporary art world.

“The Invigilator+ programme has an unique, far-reaching legacy for generations of practitioners in Wales, and I couldn’t be more excited about the group that’s been selected to work with us on Sownd.”

Cerian Wilshere Davies, one of the individuals taking part in the programme said: “As a working-class person who grew up rurally, accessing opportunities and engaging with work beyond Wales, especially internationally, has felt inaccessible to me.

“Working at and immersing myself in the Venice Biennale would be an exceptional development opportunity to build connections with networks of practitioners, enabling me to take the next step in my practice and deepen understanding of art and curation in an international context.”

The partnership is kindly supported by the Brian Ross Memorial Legacy.