PRAGUE – A jury composed of independent experts and representatives from the National Gallery in Prague and the Slovak National Gallery has selected the winner of an open competition to represent both countries at the 61st Venice Biennale. The winning project, titled "The Silence of the Mole," is the work of a team consisting of Alex Selmeci & Tomáš Kocka Jusko, artist Jakub Jansa, and artist and curator Peter Sit.

In 2026, the Czech and Slovak pavilions at the Venice Biennale will commemorate the 100th anniversary of their opening, and this milestone was one of the reasons why the competition brief called for an artistic project for a joint presentation of both countries.

Seventeen artistic projects were submitted to the competition by teams of Czech and Slovak artists and curators. The competition and the jury, including its composition, were designed to ensure the independence and expertise of the selection process for the winning project.

The project "" was selected as the highest quality, both for its clarity in an international context and for its comprehensive approach to the pavilion's space and the concept of a joint presentation. The jury also praised the well-developed proposal, which combines a historical reflection on the joint pavilion with a contemporary critical perspective on the cultural representation of Czech and Slovak identity in the context of the Venice Biennale. The concept is clear and understandable, but also contains many layers of associations with sources from Czech and Slovak culture and how they have shaped our sense of identity. The jury appreciated that the project balances and integrates the work of all participating artists from both countries, as well as its interdisciplinary format, combining film, performance, and installation.

The Venice Biennale is a global forum and an open platform for exhibiting and connecting current trends in art. Every two years, the national pavilions and the curated exhibition in the Giardini and the Arsenale showcase what resonates most from contemporary international artistic approaches. Koyo Kouoh was selected as the chief curator of the 61st Venice Biennale, titled "In Minor Keys." This theme and the curatorial concept, as designed by the chief curator, will be respected even in light of her recent sudden passing. The 2026 Venice Biennale will take place from May 9 to November 23, 2026.

About the winning project, titled ""

The central figure is Mr. K. – a weary actor who, for decades, portrayed the character of the Mole. From his original embodiment of a world of childlike innocence and poetic silence, he has become a mascot of cultural diplomacy, an object of licensing, and a nostalgic myth. He is sent to represent the Czech and Slovak Republics as a diplomatically acceptable, politically neutral figure, but one that also embodies guilt, silence, and a confused identity.

"" explores the themes of relationships in the context of Czech-Slovak coexistence, collective memory, and ecological fatigue. It raises the question of what happens to imagination when it becomes a public mask. The exhibition will appeal to a wide international audience through its visual clarity, strong emotional atmosphere, and linguistically independent dramaturgy.

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