Details have been announced of artist Isabel Nolan's commission Dreamshook, which will be presented at the Irish Pavilion during the 61st International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia.
The exhibition will run in Venice from May 9 to November 21, 2026.
Dreamshook takes its title from a term describing the sensation of waking from a dream. The installation incorporates hand-tufted tapestry, drawing and sculpture, and examines themes including thresholds, dream states and the relationship between immaterial and physical realities.
The work continues Nolan’s exploration of systems used to interpret the world and the human tendency to impose order.
The project draws on historical references from the Middle Ages and early Renaissance, including periods marked by political and religious upheaval, as well as developments in art, literacy and technology.
and producer Cian O'Brien (Pic: Ste Murray)
Influences cited include the rise of Humanism, Italian painting and architecture of the 13th and 14th centuries, the Book of Kells, and the development of printing in Europe.
A central reference in the work is Aldus Manutius (c.1450 – 1515), a Venice-based printer and publisher associated with innovations in book production, including portable formats. Nolan uses such historical developments to examine how systems of knowledge and belief are formed.
The Venice Biennale, officially the International Art Exhibition, transforms the Italian city into a global stage for contemporary art, showcasing work from across the globe. Recent Irish participants include Niamh O'Malley in 2022 and Eimear Walshe in 2024.
In a statement, Isobel Nolen said: "Dreamshook might be a show about ambivalence, about the literature and art of western Judaeo-Christian, classically inflected, enlightened society, that I both hate and love. What it means and what it entails to be human, or even humane, is being tested. It feels timely to look at a period when some of what we have taken for granted about being 'modern' humans for 600 plus years is subject to new pressures and potentially revolutionary change".
The exhibition is commissioned by Culture Ireland in partnership with The Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon and curated by Georgina Jackson. It is produced by Cian O'Brien in collaboration with the Douglas Hyde Gallery.
Following its presentation in Venice, Dreamshook is scheduled to tour nationally in Ireland in 2027 - find out more here.
