There is an ongoing performance in the Austrian Pavilion during the 2026 Venice Biennale that has become quite popular among internet users, though not necessarily in the way its creator might have intended.
This performance was conceived by Florentina Holzinger, who created an interactive installation called “Seaworld Venice“.
It features the artist herself, naked and hanging upside down inside a large bronze bell that hangs above the entrance to the pavilion. Holzinger uses the pendulum of her body as a bell’s clapper to make the bell’s sound resonate.
The bell in question was recovered from the depths of a local river and contains a Latin inscription, “TEMPORA O MORES,” meaning an appeal to the past and a regretful reminder of the moral decline of modern times.
As the artist explains, it is a metaphor for the current state of affairs in which humans face rapid change due to global warming, ecological vulnerability, and their own environmental misconduct. The city of Venice, with all its problems and beauty, becomes a subject of reflection.
The video of the performance has circulated rapidly across social media platforms, where it can be found under Holzinger’s name. Many reactions were negative and even vulgar. There are comments like “Why do climate activists always have to be naked in public? ” or “I have never laughed so hard since professional comedians worked for decades to achieve that kind of success. I am laughing my ass off. Several comments focused on nudity, along with men writing inappropriate things about the performer.
It goes without saying that the performance has caused serious problems with female artists managing public perception when working with their naked bodies.
Florentina Holzinger is a well-known artist who works with provocative concepts. She has created another controversial performance which will remain on display throughout the Biennale.
