Hyperallergic's Guide to the 2026 Venice Biennale
The 2026 Venice Biennale, named 'In Minor Keys,' will feature 110 artists and collectives, celebrating curator Koyo Kouoh. The primary exhibition is curated by Gabe Beckhurst Feijoo, Marie Hélène Pereira, Rasha Salti, Siddhartha Mitter, and Rory Tsapayi. Judges for the Golden Lion will exclude national pavilions from nations whose leaders are facing charges by the ICC. Following the cancellation of Gabrielle Goliath's 'Elegy,' South Africa has withdrawn, while the work is now displayed at Chiesa di Sant'Antonin. Russia is returning to its pavilion at Giardini, and Israel will present at the Arsenale. Alma Allen represents the US, and Qatar is constructing a new permanent pavilion in Giardini. Newcomers include Guinea, Equatorial Guinea, Nauru, Qatar, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Vietnam, and El Salvador. Collateral events will showcase pieces by Goliath, Lorna Simpson, and Marina Abramović.
Key facts
- The 2026 Venice Biennale main exhibition is titled 'In Minor Keys' and features 110 artists and collectives.
- Curator Koyo Kouoh died in 2025; her team realized the exhibition.
- Golden Lion judges will not consider pavilions of countries whose leaders are charged with crimes against humanity by the ICC.
- South Africa withdrew after canceling Gabrielle Goliath's 'Elegy' about Gaza victims; it now shows at Chiesa di Sant'Antonin.
- Russia returns to its Giardini pavilion; Israel exhibits at the Arsenale due to Giardini renovation.
- The US is represented by Alma Allen; Barbara Chase-Riboud declined.
- Qatar will build a new permanent pavilion in the Giardini, the first in decades.
- First-time participants: Guinea, Equatorial Guinea, Nauru, Qatar, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Vietnam, El Salvador.
Entities
Artists
- Koyo Kouoh
- Gabrielle Goliath
- Alma Allen
- Barbara Chase-Riboud
- Khaled Sabsabi
- Abbas Akhavan
- Lubaina Himid
- Yto Barrada
- Henrike Naumann
- Sung Tieu
- Adriana Varejão
- Rosana Paulino
- Matías Duville
- Margaret Whyte
- Alwar Balasubramaniam
- Sumakshi Singh
- Ranjani Shettar
- Asim Waqif
- Skarma Sonam Tashi
- Armen Agop
- Ei Arakawa-Nash
- RojoNegro
- Dries Verhoeven
- Florentina Holzinger
- Dana Awartani
- Nilbar Güreş
- Zhanna Kadyrova
- Álvaro Barrington
- Rirkrit Tiravanija
- Sophia Al-Maria
- Tarek Atoui
- Fadi Kattan
- Lorna Simpson
- Paulo Nazareth
- Michael Armitage
- Amar Kanwar
- Jenny Saville
- Giulio Malinverni
- Arthur Jafa
- Richard Prince
- Marina Abramović
- Gabe Beckhurst Feijoo
- Marie Hélène Pereira
- Rasha Salti
- Siddhartha Mitter
- Rory Tsapayi
- arms ache avid aeon
- Alvaro Barrington
- Beverly Buchanan
- Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons
- Kamaal Malak
- Nick Cave
- Annalee Davis
- Nolan Oswald Dennis
- Edouard Duval-Carrié
- Linda Goode Bryant
- Alfredo Jaar
- Wangechi Mutu
- Kambui Olujimi
- Ebony G. Patterson
- Walid Raad
- Issa Samb
- Ruth Patir
- Belu-Simion Fainaru
- Martin Puryear
- Yael Bartana
- Yuko Mohri
- Elmgreen & Dragset
- Ed Atkins
- Rashida Bumbray
- Patrick Chamoiseau
- Toni Morrison
- James Baldwin
- Édouard Glissant
- Nassim Taleb
- Amin Jaffer
- Nancy Spector
- Marcel Duchamp
Institutions
- Hyperallergic
- Venice Biennale
- Giardini
- Arsenale
- Chiesa di Sant'Antonin
- South African Pavilion
- United States Pavilion
- Grand Central Art Galleries
- Museum of Modern Art
- Guggenheim Foundation
- Qatar Museums
- Pinault Foundation
- Punta della Dogana
- Palazzo Grassi
- Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Ca' Pesaro
- Prada Foundation
- Gallerie Accademia
- Palestine Museum
- British Council
- Creative Australia
- National Gallery of Canada
- Institut français
- ifa (Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen)
- Mondriaan Fonds
- Japan Foundation
- IKSV (İstanbul Kültür Sanat Vakfı)
- Ukrainian Pavilion
- Financial Times
- Fondazione Prada
Locations
- Venice
- Italy
- Giardini
- Arsenale
- Castello
- Chiesa di Sant'Antonin
- Punta della Dogana
- Palazzo Grassi
- Ca' Pesaro
- Gallerie Accademia
- South Africa
- Russia
- Israel
- United States
- Qatar
- China
- India
- Argentina
- Mexico
- Saudi Arabia
- Turkey
- Ukraine
- Iran
- Venezuela
- Australia
- Canada
- Great Britain
- France
- Germany
- Brazil
- Uruguay
- Egypt
- Japan
- Netherlands
- Austria
- Guinea
- Equatorial Guinea
- Nauru
- Sierra Leone
- Somalia
- Vietnam
- El Salvador
- Palestine
- Gaza
- São Paulo
- Brasil