Key Takeaways
- Abbas Akhavan’s installation Entre chien et loup transforms the Canadian Pavilion at the 2024 Venice Biennale into a living Wardian case that houses Victoria water lilies.
- The work traces the lily’s journey from the Amazon to European botanical gardens, highlighting how empire, science, and conservation have been used to classify, rename, and control nature.
- By emphasizing the lily’s 100‑million‑year evolutionary history, Akhavan situates imperial endeavors as a fleeting “blip” in deep time.
- The installation raises questions about who gets to live with, protect, or be excluded from nature, especially amid climate anxiety, migration tensions, and global conflict.
- Curator Kim Nguyen and the National Gallery of Canada selected Akhavan for his ability to create research‑driven, conceptually rich work that can capture viewers’ attention in the Biennale’s fast‑paced environment.
Overview of the Installation
The Canadian pavilion at this year’s Venice Biennale operates less as a traditional national showcase and more as a self‑contained climate system. Inside, humidity and temperature are calibrated to mimic the steamy heat of the Amazon, while fine tubes release warm mist that drifts through the space. Roughly a third of the pavilion has been converted into an above‑ground pond, its dark, murky water dotted with floating lily pads. This immersive environment invites visitors to experience a slice of tropical ecology within the historic Giardini setting.
The Wardian Case Concept
At the heart of the display lies a monumental reinterpretation of the Wardian case—the 19th‑century glass container used to transport live plants across oceans. Akhavan’s Entre chien et loup reimagines the pavilion itself as such a case, sealing off a controlled micro‑climate where the Victoria water lily can thrive. The structure underscores how botanical specimens were once moved, studied, and displayed as trophies of imperial science, turning living matter into objects of elite curiosity.
Origins of the Victoria Water Lily
The lilies featured in the installation originated from seeds sourced at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in London. Those seeds were germinated at the Orto Botanico di Padova in northern Italy—the world’s oldest botanical garden—before being shipped to Venice to mature. This trans‑European journey mirrors the historical pathways by which exotic plants were collected, cultivated, and exhibited in metropolitan centers far from their native habitats.
Deep‑Time Perspective
Akhavan emphasizes that the genus Victoria is approximately 100 million years old, rendering the era of European empire a mere “blip” in the lily’s evolutionary timeline. Speaking amid the rain‑slicked Venice lagoon, he noted that while imperial powers sought to name, classify, and display the flower as a symbol of dominance, the plant’s existence predates and will outlast such human constructs. This deep‑time framing challenges viewers to reconsider the temporality of power and possession.
Symbolism of the Lily’s Life Cycle
The Victoria boliviana exhibits a remarkably theatrical life cycle: its pure white blossom opens for a single night, emitting a fragrance that attracts a specific beetle. The flower then closes, trapping the insect overnight; as it shifts colour and shape, it transitions from female to male, releases the beetle, and sinks below the surface to ripen its fruit. Akhavan sees this cycle as a metaphor for exchange, capture, and release—paralleling the ways imperial forces have extracted, renamed, and later relinquished control over natural specimens.
Empire, Science, and Conservation
Through the lily’s trajectory—from South American wetlands to a British monarch’s name, to European glasshouses, and finally to an international art venue—the work exposes how science and empire have collaborated to map, plot, and control nature. Akhavan observes that even contemporary acts of conservation often serve privileged access, allowing the wealthy to “live with nature” while marginalized communities are increasingly excluded. The pavilion thus becomes a site for questioning who benefits from the preservation and display of biodiversity.
Title Meaning and Metaphor
Entre chien et loup—French for “between dog and wolf”—refers to twilight, the ambiguous moment when a shepherd can no longer distinguish his guard dog from a lurking wolf. Akhavan employs this liminality as a metaphor for the difficulty of separating protector from predator, especially when power dynamics shift. The title encapsulates the installation’s central tension: nature can be both safeguarded and exploited, depending on who holds the gaze.
Curatorial Vision and Selection Process
The National Gallery of Canada commissioned the piece, with curator Kim Nguyen overseeing its realization. NGC director Jean‑François Bélisle was among five Canadian arts professionals who unanimously chose Akhavan as the country’s 2026 Biennale representative. Bélisle highlighted the jury’s attraction to the environmental thread of the work, noting that amid geopolitical turmoil, the pavilion offers a quieter, yet urgent, reflection on humanity’s relationship with the natural world.
Navigating the Biennale’s Fast Pace
Bélisle also acknowledged the intense competition at the Venice Biennale, where viewers often decide within seconds whether to linger or move on. He praised Akhavan’s skill in manipulating volume, colour, and form within the pavilion’s distinctive teepee‑shaped architecture to create an immediately seductive yet contemplative experience. Though the installation’s impact is subtle and may demand more patience than the average visitor offers, its layered research and ecological resonance aim to reward those who pause to look beyond the initial impression.