Zimbabwe Takes “Second Nature | Manyonga” to the 2026 Venice Biennale

Feature – Zimbabwe is set to make a compelling return to the world’s most prestigious contemporary art stage, the 2026 edition of the Venice Biennale, with a full scale National Pavilion exhibition titled Second Nature | Manyonga. In a time defined by climate anxiety, economic uncertainty and social upheaval, the pavilion promises a bold meditation on survival, adaptation and the quiet resilience that has long shaped the Zimbabwean spirit.

Bringing together five formidable voices in contemporary art, the Zimbabwe Pavilion will feature Gideon Gomo, Eva Raath, Franklyn Dzingai, Felix Shumba and Pardon Mapondera. Curated by Fadzai Veronica Muchemwa, the exhibition seeks to ask a question that resonates far beyond borders: how do we endure and reimagine ourselves in uncertain times?

The title itself carries layered meaning. “Second Nature” speaks to the habits and instincts human beings develop when confronted by disruption. “Manyonga,” a Shona term suggesting fragments, broken pieces or scattered remnants, points to the reality of fractured systems and lives. Together, the two phrases form a conceptual bridge between rupture and renewal, loss and reinvention.

Curator Fadzai Veronica Muchemwa describes the exhibition as a reflection on both personal and collective survival. In Zimbabwe, resilience has never been theoretical. It is lived daily in homes, markets, studios and fields. From economic headwinds to environmental shocks, Zimbabweans have developed what might be called a cultivated toughness, a second nature formed through necessity.

Each of the five artists brings a distinctive visual language to this shared inquiry.

Gideon Gomo’s work is known for its textured surfaces and layered narratives, often exploring identity and memory through mixed media. His contribution to Second Nature | Manyonga is expected to confront the emotional terrain of uncertainty, mapping the psychological landscapes that form when individuals are forced to adapt repeatedly to change. Through material experimentation and symbolic imagery, Gomo invites viewers to consider the invisible scars and strengths that shape communities.

Eva Raath’s practice, rooted in painting and installation, navigates themes of fragility and transformation. Her work often captures fleeting states of being, moments suspended between breakdown and becoming. In the context of the pavilion, Raath’s pieces are anticipated to explore how vulnerability can become a source of strength, how what appears delicate can in fact hold immense endurance.

Franklyn Dzingai, whose figurative paintings have garnered critical acclaim for their dreamlike intensity, approaches survival from a deeply human perspective. His characters, often caught in ambiguous settings, embody both introspection and tension. For Venice, Dzingai is expected to probe the emotional costs of living in uncertain environments, examining how individuals internalize instability and yet continue to imagine possibility.

Felix Shumba brings a sculptural sensibility that bridges tradition and innovation. Working with form in ways that reference both heritage and modernity, Shumba’s practice reflects on the evolving nature of identity. His work within the pavilion will likely speak to cultural endurance, asking how traditions survive and morph in the face of global pressures. In a world that often demands assimilation, Shumba’s art asserts continuity and rootedness.

Pardon Mapondera, widely recognized for his immersive sculptural installations constructed from repurposed materials, has long engaged themes of displacement, migration and survival. His intricate, woven environments often resemble organic structures, protective yet precarious. Within Second Nature | Manyonga, Mapondera’s work is poised to embody the exhibition’s central thesis: that survival is not static but adaptive, a constant reshaping of self and space.

Zimbabwe’s participation in the Venice Biennale over the years has steadily strengthened the country’s cultural diplomacy and international artistic footprint. Each pavilion becomes more than an exhibition. It is a statement of presence, a declaration that Zimbabwean voices are not peripheral but central to global conversations about art, identity and the future.

The 2026 edition arrives at a moment when the world is grappling with overlapping crises. Climate change continues to disrupt livelihoods, technological shifts reshape economies, and geopolitical tensions redefine borders. Against this backdrop, Zimbabwe’s pavilion does not claim easy answers. Instead, it offers reflection grounded in lived experience.

There is something profoundly timely about a Zimbabwean exploration of survival. For decades, ordinary citizens have navigated complex economic landscapes, crafting informal systems of trade, innovation and community care. This ingenuity has become almost instinctive. It is second nature. And yet, as the term “Manyonga” reminds us, survival often involves piecing together fragments, rebuilding from what remains.

The exhibition design itself is expected to emphasize immersion. Rather than presenting isolated works, the pavilion aims to create a cohesive environment in which painting, sculpture and installation converse with one another. Viewers will move through spaces that echo uncertainty while simultaneously offering moments of grounding and reflection.

International audiences in Venice will encounter not a singular narrative but a constellation of perspectives. The quintet of artists represents different generations, backgrounds and aesthetic approaches. What binds them is a shared sensitivity to the complexities of the present moment and a commitment to articulating those complexities through compelling visual language.

For Zimbabwe, participation at this level also underscores the importance of sustained investment in the arts. The creative sector continues to serve as both an economic driver and a repository of national memory. By showcasing a full range National Pavilion presentation, Zimbabwe affirms that its artists are capable of engaging global platforms with depth and originality.

As preparations intensify ahead of the opening in Venice, anticipation is building within the local arts community. For young artists watching from Harare, Bulawayo and beyond, the pavilion serves as inspiration. It demonstrates that stories rooted in Zimbabwean soil can resonate on the world stage.

In many ways, Second Nature | Manyonga is not only about surviving uncertain times but about redefining them. It challenges the notion that uncertainty is purely negative. Within disruption lies the potential for reinvention. Within fragmentation lies the opportunity to assemble something new.

When the doors of the Zimbabwe Pavilion open in Venice in 2026, visitors will step into a space shaped by resilience, memory and imagination. They will encounter works that speak quietly yet powerfully about endurance. And through the voices of Gideon Gomo, Eva Raath, Franklyn Dzingai, Felix Shumba and Pardon Mapondera, they will witness a nation reflecting on its past while boldly envisioning its future.

In a world searching for stability, Zimbabwe’s message is clear. Survival is not merely about holding on. It is about transformation. It is about turning fragments into form. It is about making resilience a second nature.