NZ at Venice 2028: New Zealand Artist–Curator Teams Apply by 12 November 2026
A rare chance to shape New Zealand's official Venice Biennale presentation
Creative New Zealand has opened a call for an established artist–curator team to develop and deliver Aotearoa New Zealand's twelfth official presentation at the 62nd International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia in 2028. Stage One Expressions of Interest opened on 15 October 2026 and must arrive by Thursday 12 November 2026 at 1:00 p.m. New Zealand time. Stage Two closes on 26 November 2026 at 1 p.m. but is by invitation only; submitting a Stage One EOI is essential.
This is not a regular artist grant to travel to an international exhibition, nor an unrestricted worldwide open call for independent painters or media artists. Applicants must already identify both the artist and curator, demonstrate substantial professional experience and propose a credible national pavilion vision. Digital and time-based contemporary practices may be relevant where they meet the visual-arts and curatorial criteria; there is no published restriction making this an exclusively painting or sculpture proposal.
Citizenship conditions apply to artists, not all possible curators
The proposed artist or artists must be New Zealand citizens or New Zealand permanent residents; they can live in Aotearoa or abroad. The artist and curator must each be established practitioners with sustained professional practice, and together demonstrate a record of significant exhibitions, commissions or complex projects. Curators and contributors from other countries may be included where their roles are explained. This allows international collaborations but does not make the lead artist position open to any nationality.
Solo artists with no curator yet, and curator-only proposals with no identified artist, are ineligible at Stage One. Applications can involve multiple artists or multiple curators, but the team must show a collaborative approach suited to developing a national presentation with funders, production staff, cultural advisers and communities.
Stage One is short, but the two 4,000-character responses matter
The EOI requires applicant identity and declaration, identification of the artist–curator team and a description of relevant exhibitions and prior collaborations (maximum 4,000 characters), plus an artistic proposal explaining the creative and curatorial vision and why it should represent New Zealand (another maximum of 4,000 characters). A complete production crew or exhibition construction budget is not required at this stage.
The 2028 Biennale's artistic director and overarching theme had not been announced by the time of the call; Creative New Zealand expressly says applicants need not align their proposal to an unconfirmed theme. The team should instead articulate an ambitious but feasible contemporary art concept and demonstrate it can lead a complex international exhibition with a delivery partner.
No grant amount is fixed yet; the production partner is separately appointed
The agency's official funding description gives 'Amount: To be confirmed'. Creative New Zealand is appointing a separate delivery partner to oversee logistics and execution, while the winning artist and curator lead the artistic and interpretive vision. Detailed budgets for creation, shipping, installation, interpretation and publication will be developed collaboratively later. It would be wrong to describe this as a predetermined cash prize or guaranteed personal stipend.
Stage Two invitees are expected to provide an expanded curatorial concept, images or links, indicative costs and technical requirements, possible collaborators, access needs and delivery plans. The agency considers alignment with its four-part mana framework, Te Tiriti o Waitangi commitments, tikanga Māori and community responsibilities. Artists using AI-generated visual material should review Creative New Zealand's public guidance on intellectual property, privacy and cultural implications.
Organizer's track record and the 2028 selection process
Creative New Zealand is Aotearoa's national arts development and investment agency. It has supported New Zealand's Venice Biennale participation for approximately 25 years. Its 2026 pavilion featured Fiona Pardington's 'Taharaki Skyside'; Mataaho Collective won the Golden Lion for Best Participant at the 2024 Biennale. These established works and published funding decisions provide a concrete record of the agency's role in major international contemporary art projects, without guaranteeing any outcome for 2028 applicants.
EOIs are reviewed for eligibility and readiness as they arrive. The subsequent selection panel includes expertise in contemporary art, curatorship, Māori cultural practice, project delivery and Venice Biennale presentations. The Arts Council makes the final selection, with an announcement targeted for January 2027 after formal assessments.
Application and official primary information
Official opportunity, Stage One online form and full eligibility criteria: https://creativenz.govt.nz/funding-and-support/all-opportunities/nz-at-venice-2028-artist-and-curator . Agency news about past New Zealand presentations: https://creativenz.govt.nz/news-and-blog/2026/10/13/01/07/54/creative-new-zealand-invites-applications-from-artist-and-curator-teams-for-nz-at-venice-2028 . Enquiries: venice@creativenz.govt.nz. Stage One deadline: 12 November 2026 at 1:00 p.m. NZ time. Stage Two: 26 November 2026, invited applicants only. Checked 19 October 2026.