On May 7th, 2026, the Secretary of State for Art and Culture, Jorge Soares Cristóvão, attended the official opening of the Timor-Leste Pavilion at the 61st Venice Biennale International Art Exhibition in Italy, themed “Across Words” (“Liu Husi Liafuan”). 
The exhibition, curated by Loredana Pazzini-Paracciani, is held at the Arsenale, Artiglierie, one of the main venues of the Venice Biennale, and features works by artists Verónica Pereira Maia, Etson Caminha, and Juventino Madeira. It explores themes of language, memory, cultural identity, and the transmission of knowledge in Timor-Leste.
The opening ceremony was attended by Timorese institutional representatives, members of the organising team, artists, curators, international guests, and cultural sector professionals. The Secretary of State for Art and Culture was accompanied by the Ambassador of Timor-Leste to Brussels, Maria Lourdes Martins de Souza Bessa; the Ambassador of Timor-Leste to the Holy See, Choloe Tilman; and representatives of Commission G of the National Parliament.
The opening featured a contemporary interpretation of the Verahana ritual, performed by Etson Caminha, to welcome visitors and bridge the gap between ancestral memory, oral tradition, and contemporary artistic expression.
Among the featured works is “Tais Don” (1994–99) by artisan Verónica Pereira Maia, created in tribute to the victims of the Santa Cruz Massacre of November 12th, 1991. The exhibition also features “CUALE (Flow / Fluxo)” (2025–2026) by Etson Caminha, an installation that combines sound, performance, traditional movement, and technology, and “Fraze ne’ebé seidauk hotu (An Unfinished Sentence / Uma Frase Inacabada)” (2025–2026) by Juventino Madeira, a video installation exploring the relationship between memory, future, and identity from the perspective of a younger generation.
The theme “Across Words” seeks to reflect Timor-Leste’s ethnolinguistic diversity and how history, culture, and knowledge are preserved and transmitted through oral tradition, music, weaving, performance, and other forms of cultural expression.
The national contribution also includes the launch of the publication “ACROSS WORDS: An Anthology” (2026), which brings together texts by researchers, curators, scholars, and artists from Timor-Leste, Southeast Asia, and beyond on contemporary Timorese art.
During the visit to Venice, the national delegation also took part in events at the pavilions of Portugal, Indonesia, and Singapore, as part of efforts to promote cultural dialogue and international artistic cooperation.
In 2024, Timor-Leste participated in the Venice Biennale for the first time. Its participation in the 2026 edition continues the international promotion of Timorese art and culture and forms part of efforts to promote national cultural identity and strengthen cultural diplomacy.
The 61st Venice Biennale International Art Exhibition will take place from May 9th to November 22nd, 2026.