Institutions, Venice
Mark Francis
Sea of Sound
San Marino PavilionOpens Saturday, May 9 Mark Francis (b. 1962, Newtownards, Northern Ireland) represents the Republic of San Marino at the 61st International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia. Curated by Luca Tommasi, the project Sea of Sound presents a new body of work by the artist, who has long been engaged in exploring the physical and poetic relationships between art, sound, and science. In 2026, the San Marino Pavilion is hosted in a new venue located between the Arsenale and the Giardini: Tana Art Space (Fondamenta de la Tana No. 2111), a former timber and coal warehouse transformed into a space dedicated to art and culture. The San Marino Pavilion is conceived and organized by FR Istituto d'Arte Contemporanea S.p.A., a San Marino-based company founded by Roberto Felicetti, Vincenzo Rotondo, and Alessandro Bianchini, with the support of the Secretariat of State for Education and Culture and under the supervision of Valentina Garavini, serving as Commissioner. "As soon as the theme of the Biennale, In Minor Keys, by Koyo Kouoh and her team was revealed, Mark Francis' choice immediately struck me as natural and appropriate, as it was fully consistent, both semantically and metaphorically, with the Northern Irish artist's most recent projects, entitled Soundscapes, Acoustic Ocean, and Harmonic Field," says curator Luca Tommasi. "In Minor Keys is an expression borrowed from music that signifies a mode of performance in a minor key, and which aims to extend the concept from the purely musical realm to the need for human beings to reconnect with the frequencies of their own souls, to refine and amplify their ability to hear whispers and voices that are fainter than the dominant narrative, acting as a tuning fork capable of restoring balance and harmony." Since the 1990s, Mark Francis has developed a body of work focused primarily on abstract painting. A sonic and emotional experience that translates into works that evoke auditory sensations through visual representation, in a synaesthetic and multisensory dimension. The title Sea of Sound alludes to the vastness of sounds and frequencies in which we are immersed and our ability to intercept, select and interpret them in personal experiences, including through the filter of emotion. The Pavilion is divided into two rooms: in the entrance hall, a projection entitled Listening Field leads the viewer into the artist's world of images; in the second room, a carefully curated selection of large-format paintings, created in oil on canvas or aluminium, allows the viewer to delve deeper into his research. "Although my work is abstract in nature, it is conceptually guided by ideas inspired by science, sound, and colour. Instead of replicating these ideas, I have always allowed myself to lose myself in the creative process, giving life to new and imagined forms. My practice focuses primarily on painting, but I have also explored other media, such as graphic art and sculpture. Now that I am expanding my research into the moving image, I look forward to sharing this new direction at the 2026 Art Biennale," says artist Mark Francis. The Pavilion logo originates from a painting, overlaid with the three iconic towers of Mount Titano, propagators of waves of freedom, independence, and creativity. Privileged listening points and acoustic refuges above that ‘sea of sounds' evoked by the artist. Commissioner: Valentina Garavini Curator: Luca Tommasi