ALTER NATIVE

The catalogue for Biennale Teatro 2026 accompanies and delves into the programme of the 54th International Theatre Festival (7-21 June 2026). The catalogue is built around the theme chosen by Artistic Director Willem Dafoe, Alter NATIVE, with the purpose to serve as both an orienting tool and a critical guide to the Festival. It explores theatre practises that are far removed from our own contexts, examining the “other” (alter) alongside its culture of origin (native).

The catalogue contains institutional and introductory texts, critical essays, conversations with artists, and detailed documents on the programme’s events, written in both Italian and English. The Director’s vision is to create a tool that will help visitors engage with the Biennale Teatro 2026 experience visually and narratively, while also offering those who could not attend the events a glimpse into an alter native experience.

In continuity with last year’s project, the catalogue has been designed as a single book comprising two specular and inseparable volumes.

The left side volume gathers institutional content, including an introduction by the President of La Biennale di Venezia Pietrangelo Buttafuoco, an original interview with Artistic Director Willem Dafoe and the motivations for the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement (Emma Dante) and for the Silver Lion (Mario Banushi). It also contains information materials for the Festival’s shows. A section is reserved to the The Drama Schools Project and one is dedicated to the talks and to the exhibition on Robert Wilson.

The right side volume is dedicated to artistic insights and the research materials. In particular, each artist involved in the programme has a portrait, their name written in Willem Dafoe’s calligraphy, an in-depth critical text, an evocative or abstract image and a short interview. This volume also contains sections dedicated to Biennale College Teatro.

The visual identity of the catalogue has been developed based on original drawings by Willem Dafoe, which also form the graphic foundation of the Festival poster. The front and back covers feature two versions of the drawing – a white (empty) and a black (full) anthropomorphic figure – accompained by the title in its two forms ALTER native and alter NATIVE.

The graphic and layout are by Studio Tomo Tomo, Milan.