Tempo, which premiered last autumn and was created by Kalle Nio, Finnish artist known for contemporary circus, and choreographer Fernando Melo from Bresil, has been selected for the Venice Biennale dance program.
The two-week dance program of the Venice Biennale consists of over 60 new works—with Kalle Nio’s Tempo as the sole Finnish representative.
Tempo fits perfectly into the theme “Time Does Not Exist”, devised by the festival’s director, British choreographer Sir Wayne McGregor, which explores the non-linearity of time. Tempo features text, movement, and hypnotic stage illusions where time runs backward, gravity disappears, and the laws of nature dissolve.
In the piece, created together with Brazilian choreographer Fernando Melo, Nio combines visual theater, cinematic expression, contemporary circus, and new magic. In his presentation speech, McGregor described time—its perception, acceleration, deceleration, and eventual end—as the very material of the work.
Tempo premiered last autumn at the Helsinki Festival. It has garnered significant international interest, and this year it will tour at least 10 countries, from Serbia to Singapore.
Finnish artists have not often been seen in the performing arts program of the Venice Biennale. In 2022, the Finnish-Egyptian artist Samira Elagoz, who has a background in dance, was awarded the Silver Lion; her work was presented in the Biennale’s theater program. Previously in the dance program, Tero Saarinen’s Hunt was featured in 2002.
The Venice Biennale Danza will take place from July 17 to August 1, 2026.