"The boy with blue T-shirt"
A solo show by Atousa Bandeh
Iranian artist Atousa Bandeh has lived through migration, with all its complexities: a skewed identity, a double life—one foot in a peaceful society, one in a war invisible from the outside. She asks herself: How much of me do you see? Which layer of you am I seeing?
In her new series of works spanning painting, installation, and sculpture, the artist looks from her studio window into the courtyard. The sky above—with the recurring sunset filling her eyes again and again, and the earth below—a group of underage asylum seekers. They spend their days at picnic tables outside Bandeh’s studio, scrolling through their phones, waiting for their trials.
Through this body of work, Bandeh reflects on the power of seeing—the power to shape consciousness. Observing the world around her, she realises that how we see, what we see, and from where we see are not just matters of physics, location, and time, but also involve social, historical, and emotional dimensions. These layers cannot be removed, but becoming aware of them allows us to see more clearly.
And honestly, what I keep thinking about is this: when I look at them, I don’t even know what I’m supposed to see. Do I see their waiting, their boredom, their fear? Or do I only see what I want to see—something softer, simpler, less broken?
We look forward to welcoming you to the opening, Friday 17 April, from 17:00 until 19:00 hrs at Lumen Travo Gallery.
Otobong Nkanga Bienalle Arte 2026
Installation at the Central Pavilion
For Venice Biennale 2026, Otobong Nkanga transformed both the façade of the Central Pavilion and Carlo Scarpa’s Sculpture Garden into immersive spaces that invite visitors to slow down and reflect. The four columns of the Pavilion are wrapped in locally made brick, with ceramic pots holding living plants whose roots and vines gradually spread across the structure. Glowing Murano glass sculptures inspired by a West African pumpkin emit a soft pulsing light, recalling the rhythm of a living organism.
In the Sculpture Garden, Nkanga arranged rocks of different sizes sourced from nearby regions of Italy directly on the ground. Their layered surfaces reveal traces of deep geological time, while some hold rainwater and others contain aromatic plants. Across both installations, Nkanga brings together natural materials, living elements, and human intervention to create quiet spaces of connection and contemplation.