Two Glasgow artists have been chosen to represent Scotland as part of next year’s La Biennale di Venezia, one of the most prestigious and significant celebrations of visual art in the world. 

The selected artists are Bugarin + Castle (real names Davide Bugarin and Angel Cohn Castle), a duo who emerged in 2015 from Glasgow's Queer cabaret scene in 2015 under the drag alter egos Hairy Teddy Bear and Pollyanna, and have previously worked within the realms of cabaret, theatre and film to explore themes of queerness, colonialism and gentrification. 

Their work for the Biennale promises to be a ‘multi-layered project’ which will use the idea of the parade to uncover the complex legacy of shame, pride, and celebration. Drawing on the history of queerness, Scottish archives, and the cultural heritage of the Philippines, it will also look at how sound and costume are shaping social control. At a time when notions of pride and freedom of expression are at risk, it could open a vital pathway of discussion on the topic.  

The project will be worked on in collaboration with Mount Stuart Trust, a Neo-Gothic mansion based on the Isle Of Bute which has provided the inspiration and location for a contemporary art programme since 2001. Exhibiting artists have included Martin Boyce, Ilana Halperin, Sekai Machache, Monster Chetwynd, Abbas Akhavan and Christine Borland. 

Bugarin + Castle’s most recent project was an interactive film called Sore Throat, which was shot in Edinburgh and Manila and acted as an exploration of ‘colonial monsters’ and sound in Queer Filipino spaces. The piece was exhibited in Fruitmarket, Tate Modern and a variety of international venues, and used custom software to secretly record gallery audiences to be replayed within the film, implicating them as antagonists within its story. 

Bugarin + Castle said: ‘We first met performing in the mess and noise of Queer cabaret in Edinburgh. A decade later, that spirit still drives our practice. We’re thrilled to show new work together in Venice, transforming the venue with spatial and drag-inflected interventions that confront questions of gendered performance and colonial sound control, rooted in our lived experience. We aim to trouble easy narratives on the contested ground of identity today.’

The ambitious project is being facilitated by Scotland + Venice, which aims to promote the best of contemporary art on the world stage, as well as develop work promoting collaboration on projects between contemporary artists. 

The 61st edition of La Biennale di Venezia will be held in 29 country pavilions housed in the Giardini and more pavilions at Arsenale sites across Venice from Saturday 9 May – Sunday 22 November 2026. Other notable announcements from the art festival include its title In Minor Keys, a curatorial vision from Koyo Kouoh, who passed away suddenly in May. Her exhibition will be carried out with the full support of her family, exactly how she conceived it.

Before her passing, Kouoh wrote to the President of La Biennale, Pietrangelo Buttafuoco, ‘In October 2024, I was greatly honoured to be appointed curator of the 61st edition of Biennale Arte. It is with pleasure that I share today with you and your team the philosophical framework that will guide my curatorship of the exhibition.’

More details of 2026’s Biennale will be announced at a presentation in Venice on Wednesday 25 February 2026.

La Biennale di Venezia, various venues, Venice, Saturday 9 May – Sunday 22 November 2026; main picture: Charlotte Cullen.