BAB @ Venice Biennale,
9 May to 2 August 2026
The Spirits of Maritime Crossing 2026 is an exhibition by 20 artists from Southeast Asia, Serbia, and
Ireland at the Venice Biennale de Arte at Palazzo Rocca Contarini Corfù. As part of the collateral
events, the exhibition focuses on the theme of maritime routes as pathways of exchange, rupture,
and renewal, tracing how stories of migration, diaspora, and spiritual resilience move in quiet
tones across oceans and generations. We are delighted to include the work of renowned Irish artist
Amanda Coogan in this exhibition exploring strangeness, melancholy and solace in relation to
identity, diaspora, displacement and human migration.
Coogan will show her Ode to Joy - Thai Sign Language video work, transposing Beethoven’s 9th
Symphony into body language. The work hones the spirits of rage, resistance, resilience and hope.
Working with a Thai Deaf choir the work re-members this totemic symphony with the magnetic
power of Coogan in performance. Coogan’s participation is gratefully supported by Culture Ireland.