The eleven works by Mark Francis exhibited at the Venice Biennale will be presented at Palazzo SUMS from 5 December 2026 to 28 February 2027. The exhibition “Sea of Sound,” curated by Luca Tommasi, will bring to San Marino the project chosen for the national Pavilion at the 61st International Art Exhibition.
The announcement comes as the Venice installation nears its close, open until 22 November at the Tana Art Space, near the Arsenale. According to figures released by the organisers, the Pavilion has drawn an average of more than one hundred visitors a day and around 20,000 visits in total, with attendance nearly doubling compared to 2024.
Palazzo SUMS will bring together eleven medium- and large-format paintings, in oil on canvas and on aluminium. The work of the Northern Irish artist explores the relationship between abstract painting and sound perception: colours and bands translate the suggestions of sounds and frequencies onto the surface of the works.
The exhibition is organised by the FR Institute of Contemporary Art, in collaboration with the Secretariat of State for Education and Culture and with the support of the Cultural Institutes.
For Secretary of State Teodoro Lonfernini, the move will make the project accessible even to those who did not visit the Biennale: “Creating a direct link with the territory is a priority for the Secretariat of State: this way, even San Marino citizens who were unable to travel to Venice will have the opportunity to enjoy an exhibition of the highest calibre.”
The invitation-only opening is scheduled for Friday 4 December at 6pm, in the presence of the artist, the curator, the organisers and institutional representatives.
From the following day, the exhibition will be open every day from 9am to 5pm, at Palazzo SUMS, Via Piana 1. Full-price tickets cost 11 euros, with a reduced rate of 8 euros; free admission is available for certain categories. For information and bookings, call +378 0549 909421.
