Edinburgh Art Festival 2026: Queer and Post-War Japanese Art Across the City

The Edinburgh Art Festival has unveiled plans for its 2026 edition (EAF26), which will showcase diverse viewpoints throughout the city. A highlight is the exhibition 'Love Bites Back' at the festival's newly established venue at 92 Constitution Street. This display features the works of Del LaGrace Volcano, sourced from their Queer Archive of Resistance, spotlighting photographs taken in the UK, including Edinburgh, during the 1980s and 90s. These images, rooted in personal experiences within leather dyke culture and queer identity, confront conventional notions of gender, desire, and power. Complementing this, 'Sensual / Mutual' will take place at Auto Italia in London, revisiting the queer subcultural environments that influenced Volcano's work. Furthermore, 'Carnal Desires' at Custom Lane will present the seldom-seen art of Sadao Hasegawa, a pivotal figure in post-war Japan's gay art scene. The festival seeks to illuminate queer histories and marginalized artistic expressions across the city.