VENICE — A new outdoor art installation titled Nabatele opened as an official collateral event of the 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia on July 16, 2026. The installation, created by artist and architect Anna Kamyshan, is on view at Arsenale Nord in the Castello district of Venice until September 16.

Nabatele depicts a shtetl-style synagogue perched on a massive rock suspended above water. The installation's windows are continuously lit, evoking the Ner Tamid, an eternal light seen in synagogues. The title, Nabatele, draws on the Biblical Hebrew word nabat, which means a call of warning or alarm, and uses the Yiddish diminutive suffix "-ele."

Kamyshan, who lives in London and is of Ukrainian and Jewish heritage with Russian origins, described the work as exploring "the tension between gravity and buoyancy, the gentle effort of existing uprooted." She added, "Whether the structure ever had roots or a foundation, or instead always floated freely above the ground; whether it seeks a place to land or prefers its airy autonomy… these questions remain a mystery." The artist stated, "The constant light from the synagogue windows symbolizes for me that inner flame that is not extinguished by any turbulence, and that persists in instability."

The installation, curated by Maria Veits and Yevgeniy Fiks, is a helium-filled, double-membrane structure that rises to 25 meters and moves with the wind. The design and engineering were led by Christopher Hornzee-Jones of Aerotrope, with calculations and analysis performed by Tensys. Kamyshan explained, "It is not trying to represent a state or a flag. It is more like a condition." She added, "Something floating, something that refuses to be pinned down."

The Montreal Jewish Museum collaborated on the presentation of Nabatele. Alyssa Stokvis-Hauer, artistic director of the Museum of Jewish Montreal, said that the museum understands the project "as a point of connection over the long term." She added, "Conceived to travel, Nabatele seeks to broaden its cultural reach and foster dialogue across communities and cultures." Stokvis-Hauer stated, "These goals are what led our museum to organize the project as a collateral event at 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia and become its future North American host." The installation will eventually be hosted by the Museum of Jewish Montreal in North America.

Nabatele draws on the memory of wooden synagogues of Eastern European shtetls and references René Magritte’s 1959 painting The Castle of the Pyrenees, which is part of the Israel Museum’s collection. Venice established the world’s first Jewish ghetto in 1516.