How Many Angels Can Dance on the Head of a Pin? is a collaborative exhibition presented by
the Nordic Countries Pavilion at the 61st International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia.

Artists: Klara Kristalova, Benjamin Orlow and Tori Wrånes
Curated by Anna Mustonen
Commissioned by Kiasma
Co-commissioned by Moderna Museet and
OCA – Office for Contemporary Art Norway

Exhibition Local Coordinator

 

The exhibition transforms the pavilion into a sculptural, mythical environment where bodies, materials and architecture interact in shifting and unstable ways.

The project explores themes of transformation, vulnerability, and mythology – blending sculpture, installation, sound, and live performance – and respond to contemporary conditions of disconnection.

Central to the exhibition is the influence of the Kalevala, the 19th-century epic of Finland and Karelia, particularly the myth of the Sampo: a magical ‘vessel of abundance’ that is ultimately destroyed into the sea.
This narrative serves as a framework for exploring what happens when systems of order collapse, and how processes of fragmentation give rise to renewal.

The artists engage directly with the distinctive architectural design and open, light-filled spaces of the Nordic Pavilion to bridge cultural heritage with broader global contexts

M+B Studio led the operations in Venice, as long as also in charge of the Sverre Fehn’s Pavilion Management since 2022.

 

Website: www.kiasma.fi/nordicpavilionvenice

 

Photo Credits:
Installation views and details, Tori Wrånes and Klara Kristalova’s workplaces, Finnish National Gallery / Pirje Mykkänen
Performance by Tori Wrånes, Finnish National Gallery / Iisa Smeds and Pirje Mykkänen
Benjamin Orlow’s workplace, Luke Walker
Cover, some installation views and details © 2026 Luca Delise / M+B Studio