With a comprehensive publication, Biennale Gherdëina 10 documents its 10th anniversary edition, (Future) Paradise Gardens, curated by Samuel Leuenberger. Spanning more than 400 pages, the catalogue presents and documents the curatorial concept and artworks of the biennial in depth. Numerous images offer insights into the programme and artistic contributions, creating a lasting record of high significance to the biennial.
In addition to introductory remarks by Zënza Sëida President Eduard Demetz and contributions from representatives of provincial and municipal politics, the catalogue includes a series of in-depth essays and extensive texts on the participating artists.
In his contribution, curator Samuel Leuenberger reflects on the Biennale’s theme under the title (Future) Paradise Gardens. Philosopher Michael Marder, who is also part of the exhibiting duo with Pedro Abu Wirz, contributes the essay The Garden as Form. Participating artist Chanelle Adams, together with palaeontologist Herwig Prinoth, contributes Every Garden Has a Plot, while curator Sofia Lemos writes on Imaginal Garden.
The authors approach the theme of Biennale Gherdëina 10 — (Future) Paradise Gardens from different perspectives. Central topics include the garden as a site of social transformation, multifaceted theories of the future, and the role of imagination.
The quadrilingual catalogue features all 24 artistic contributions in detail, dedicating several pages to each artist and artwork through texts and images. Many of the works were conceived specifically for Biennale Gherdëina and realised as site-specific projects.
On Saturday, 1 August, starting at 6:00 pm, the catalogue will be publicly presented at Hotel Ladinia. President Eduard Demetz, Director Doris Ghetta, and Project Manager Silvia Di Giorgio will officially launch the publication. The event will also serve as an opportunity to bring together and celebrate the local arts community. Alongside the catalogue for (Future) Paradise Gardens, the anniversary publication BG1–10. Biennale Gherdëina Anniversary will also be presented in Ortisei.
The presentation will activate the former bar of Hotel Ladinia and Lydia Ourahmane’s installation Hotel Ladinia (2026), conceived by the artist to breathe new life into the abandoned bar of the former hotel. Closed since 1998, the space once served as a social gathering place where guests and local residents would come together for a drink, a conversation, and a game of board games. Ourahmane’s installation operates through activation and participation, opening the space to new encounters and iterations within the existing architecture. In addition to the catalogue launch on Saturday, 1 August, the venue will be activated once again on Sunday, 9 August, for a chess tournament organised by the Ortisei Chess Club.
Over the course of ten editions, the Biennale has fostered a strong network that extends far beyond Val Gardena. This network continues to enrich and strengthen the Biennale’s impact and has contributed to its international recognition as one of the most significant contemporary art biennials in a rural context.
With (Future) Paradise Gardens, Samuel Leuenberger has curated a tenth edition that brings together local, regional, national, and international positions to address some of the most pressing questions facing both the valley and our time: What should our future look like? How do we relate to our environment today, and what consequences will these choices have for future years and generations?
The catalogue will be available at the launch event on 1 August 2026 at Hotel Ladinia and subsequently during Biennale Gherdëina opening hours at the information desk next to Sala Trenker in Ortisei, as well as online via the website of the Istitut Ladin Micurà de Rü.