2026 Whitney Biennial: US Empire, Interspecies Kinships, and Surveillance
On June 1, 2026, the Whitney Museum of American Art unveiled the 2026 Whitney Biennial, curated by Marcela Guerrero and Drew Sawyer, which will continue until August 23. This 82nd iteration showcases 56 artists, collaborations, and collectives, addressing themes of US imperialism, identity, and power, drawing inspiration from Daniel Immerwahr's "How to Hide an Empire." The exhibition features artists from various countries, including Afghanistan, Chile, Iraq, Okinawa, Palestine, the Philippines, and Vietnam. Among the prominent contributors are Emilie Louise Gossiaux, Oswaldo Maciá, Akira Ikezoe, and many others. This marks the fifth biennial since the Whitney relocated to the Meatpacking District in 2014.
Key facts
- The 2026 Whitney Biennial opened June 1, 2026, at the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York.
- Curated by Marcela Guerrero and Drew Sawyer.
- Features 56 artists, duos, and collectives.
- No official theme; focuses on US imperialism and identity.
- Artists from Afghanistan, Chile, Iraq, Okinawa, Palestine, the Philippines, and Vietnam are included.
- Emilie Louise Gossiaux created 100 ceramic replicas of her guide dog's chew toy.
- Oswaldo Maciá's 'Requiem for the Insects' uses sound, smell, and sculpture.
- Aki Onda recreated José Maceda's 1974 radio piece 'Ugnayan'.
- Kelly Akashi's 'Monument (Altadena)' is made of glass bricks from her fire-destroyed home.
- Cooper Jacoby's sculptures use AI trained on dead creatives' social media.
- Andrea Fraser exhibits wax sculptures of toddlers alongside her mother's paintings.
- Nour Mobarak inserted a microphone into her vaginal canal for audio piece.
- The biennial runs until August 23, 2026.
Entities
Artists
- Marcela Guerrero
- Drew Sawyer
- Emilie Louise Gossiaux
- Oswaldo Maciá
- Akira Ikezoe
- Mao Ishikawa
- Agosto Machado
- Ali Eyal
- Aki Onda
- José Maceda
- Nani Chacon
- Kelly Akashi
- Ignacio Gatica
- Emilio Martínez Poppe
- David L. Johnson
- Erin Jane Nelson
- Aziz Hazara
- Samia Halaby
- Cooper Jacoby
- Gabriela Ruiz
- Leo Castañeda
- Margaret Honda
- Carmen de Monteflores
- Andrea Fraser
- Nour Mobarak
- Young Joon Kwak
- Marvin Astorga
- Anna Tsouhlarakis
- Raven Halfmoon
- Pat Oleszko
- Jasmin Sian
- Kamrooz Aram
- Daniel Immerwahr
- Maria Thereza Negreiros
- Basel Abbas
- Ruanne Abou-Rahme
- Ash Arder
- Teresa Baker
- Sula Bermudez-Silverman
- Zach Blas
- Enzo Camacho
- Ami Lien
- Daniel Chew
- Ten Izu
- Kirsten Kilponen
- Tin Nguyen
- Maia Chao
- Joshua Citarella
- Mo Costello
- Taína H. Cruz
- Mariah Garnett
- Jonathan González
- Kainoa Gruspe
- Martine Gutierrez
- Nile Harris
- Dyer Rhoads
- Sancia Miala Shiba Nash
- Drew K. Broderick
- Michelle Lopez
- Isabelle Frances McGuire
- Kimowan Metchewais
- Precious Okoyomon
- Malcolm Peacock
- Sarah M. Rodriguez
- Jordan Strafer
- Sung Tieu
- Julio Torres
- Johanna Unzueta
- CFGNY
- David L Johnson
- kekahi wahi
- Beatriz Cifuentes
- Carina Martinez
Institutions
- Whitney Museum of American Art
- Hyundai Terrace
- Commonwealth and Council
- Chapter NY
- Document
- Experimenter Kolkata/Bomba
- Forum of Fountainhead Arts
- Meta
- US Mint
- Occupy Wall Street
- Zuccotti Park
- Hudson Yards
- CFGNY
- kekahi wahi
- Canvas
- Whitney Museum
Locations
- New York
- United States
- Afghanistan
- Chile
- Iraq
- Okinawa
- Japan
- Palestine
- Philippines
- Vietnam
- New Orleans
- Los Angeles
- California
- London
- New Mexico
- Colombia
- Miami
- Florida
- Paris
- France
- Berlin
- Germany
- Baghdad
- Manila
- Philadelphia
- Pennsylvania
- Santiago
- Manhattan
- Altadena
- Navajo Nation
- Hawaii
- Puerto Rico
- Brazil
- Cairo
- Egypt
- Queens
- Wall Street
- Meatpacking District
- Hudson River
- New York, NY
- Los Angeles, CA
- Brooklyn, NY
- Berlin, Germany
- Paris, France
- London, United Kingdom
- Athens, Greece
- Bainbridge Island, WA
- Santa Fe, NM
- Chicago, IL
- Philadelphia, PA
- Detroit, MI
- Honolulu, HI
- Okinawa, Japan
- Cyprus
- Boston, MA
- Altadena, CA
- Shiraz, Iran
- Flint, MI
- Mandan, ND
- Point Pleasant, WV
- Toronto, Canada
- Manila, Philippines
- Dallas, TX
- Cali, Colombia
- Miami, FL
- Gallup, NM
- Albuquerque, NM
- Providence, RI
- Seattle, WA
- Athens, GA
- New Haven, CT
- San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Berkeley, CA
- Baghdad, Iraq
- Billings, MT
- Portland, ME
- Santiago, Chile
- Queens, NY
- New Orleans, LA
- Louisville, KY
- Oklahoma City, OK
- Norman, OK
- Caddo Nation
- Wardak, Afghanistan
- San Diego, CA
- Kochi, Japan
- Princeton, NJ
- Kona, HI
- Oʻahu, HI
- Bridgeport, CT
- Quezon City, Philippines
- Cartegena de Indias, Colombia
- Baltimore, MD
- Austin, TX
- Oxbow, SK, Canada
- Saint Paul, AB, Canada
- Cold Lake First Nations
- Cairo, Egypt
- Neenah, WI
- Tenri, Nara, Japan
- Mito, Ibaraki, Japan
- Raleigh, NC
- Ojo Caliente, NM
- San Fernando Valley, CA
- Hai Duong, Vietnam
- San Salvador, El Salvador
- Lawrence, KS
- Boulder, CO
- Creek Nation
- The Philippines
- US
- UK
- El Salvador
- Creek
- Canada