Isabel Nolan’s “Dreamshook” at the Irish Pavilion, Venice Biennale 2026

Isabel Nolan’s work at the Irish Pavilion at the 2026 Venice Art Biennale is a beautiful tribute to Aldo Manunzio (1149–1515), the Venetian printer who invented the italic typeface.

Isabel Nolan, Aldus Dream of a Plentiful Supply of Good Books, Ireland, Venice Biennale 2026

Isabel Nolan, Aldus Dream Aldo Manuzio also revolutionised printing at the time by creating the octavo, the forerunner of today’s paperback.

In Aldo Manuzio’s day, books were very large, heavy and expensive.

Aldo Manuzio had the idea of folding the large sheets of paper used to print books into eighths.

Once the page was folded into eighths, the single sheet of paper now corresponded to 16 printed pages.

The result was a smaller, cheaper book that was easy to carry around.

His tapestry, entitled “Aldus’ Dream of a Plentiful Supply of Good Books”, shows Aldus Manuzio dreaming of making affordable books available to as many people as possible; books that fly away into the starry night of his dreams, books made light thanks to his invention of the octavo.

Isabel Nolan, Make Haste Slowly, Ireland, Venice Biennale 2026

Make Haste Slowly In her work, Isabel Nolan also references Aldo Manuzio’s emblem—a dolphin and an anchor—which he accompanied with the motto “Festina Lente”: “Make Haste Slowly”, to one of her tapestries.

This tapestry shows us fruit trees in a colourful, sun-drenched landscape, trees whose fruit are books covering the ground.

The message is identical to that of Aldo Manuzio: one must allow time for the tree to ripen its fruit, just as one must allow time for a person to work on their creations before sharing them, all without ever stopping.

A message that takes on its full significance in today’s world, where writing and thought are beginning to be cannibalised by artificial intelligence that ‘spits out’ text by the second.

Isabel Nolan, The Dreams of Reason Produce Monsters, Ireland, Venice Biennale 2026

The Dreams of Reason His third tapestry, “The Dreams of Reason Produce Monsters”, refers to an engraving by Francisco de Goya: “El sueño de la razón produce monstruos”.

This engraving, in which owls and bats are seen flying through the night around the sleeping Goya, was a metaphor for the artist’s fears regarding Spanish society in his time—a society which, in his view, was corrupt, mad and verging on the ridiculous.

In Isabel Nolan’s tapestry, a large owl with outstretched wings is depicted against a sky where day meets night, and where books—symbols of reason—fall into the sea amidst the fish and dissolve.

Isabel Nolan’s works illustrate the value of knowledge that enlightens humanity.

Isabel Nolan, Make Haste Slowly

Aldus Dream of a Plentiful Supply of Good Books

The Dreams of Reason Produce Monsters