Venice Biennale 2026 Opens Amid Curator's Death and Jury Resignation
The 61st Venice Biennale, titled 'In Minor Keys,' opens to the public on May 9, 2026, at the Central Pavilion and Arsenale. The exhibition was curated by the late Koyo Kouoh, a Cape Town–based curator who died of cancer during preparations; a team of five collaborators completed the show using her plans. The biennial is also marked by the resignation of the festival jury last week over a controversial public statement regarding Israel and Russia, leading to the replacement of the juried prize with a Eurovision-style people's choice award. The main exhibition features around 110 artists and collectives, with works exploring themes of healing, spirituality, colonialism, and family histories. Notable artists include Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons, Tammy Nguyen, Guadalupe Maravilla, Ayrson Heráclito, and Michael Armitage. The show includes a section focused on Armitage's Nairobi Contemporary Art Institute, featuring works by Josephine Alacu, Banadda Godfrey, and Peter Mulinda. Political themes are prominent, with a poem by Rafaat al-Areer, killed in Gaza in 2023, displayed at the Arsenale entrance, and works by Israeli filmmaker Avi Mograbi and Gazan artist Mohammed Joha addressing the Israel-Palestine conflict. The biennial runs until November 22, 2026.
Key facts
- 61st Venice Biennale 'In Minor Keys' opens May 9, 2026
- Curator Koyo Kouoh died of cancer during preparations
- Jury resigned over statement on Israel and Russia
- Juried prize replaced by Eurovision-style people's choice award
- Exhibition features about 110 artists and collectives
- Includes section on Nairobi Contemporary Art Institute
- Poem by Rafaat al-Areer displayed at Arsenale entrance
- Biennial runs until November 22, 2026
Entities
Artists
- Koyo Kouoh
- Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons
- Toni Morrison
- Big Chief Demond Melanchon
- Tammy Nguyen
- Guadalupe Maravilla
- Ayrson Heráclito
- Michael Armitage
- Josephine Alacu
- Banadda Godfrey
- Peter Mulinda
- Adriano Pedrosa
- Shahidul Alam
- Godfried Donkor
- Nick Cave
- Wangechi Mutu
- Clarissa Herbst
- Dominique Rust
- Issa Samb
- Beverly Buchanan
- Marcel Duchamp
- Raed Yassin
- Andy Warhol
- Grace Jones
- Dante Alighieri
- Rafaat al-Areer
- Avi Mograbi
- Mohammed Joha
- Rory Tsapayi
- Siddharta Mitter
- Marie Helene Pereira
- Gabe Beckhurst Feijoo
- Rasha Salty
- Big Chief Demond Melancon
- Alexa Kumiko Hatanaka
- Maria Magdalena Campos Pons
- Kamaal Malak
- Sabian Baumann
- Hala Schoukair
- Annalee Davis
- Mohammed Z. Rahman
- Philip Aguirre Y Otegui
- Pauline Oliveros
- Dan Lie
- Alfredo Jaar
- Michael Joo
- Dawn Dedeux
- Khaled Sabsabi
- Cauleen Smith
- Carrie Schneider
- Chris Marker
- Theo Eshetu
- Werewere Liking
- Sawangwongse Yawnghwe
- Walid Raad
- John Letourneau
- kara lynch
- Jessica Rankin
- Beth Stryker
- Robin Vachal
- Paul Pfeiffer
- Julie Mehretu
- Koray Duman
- Sam Joseph Nitro
- Josephine Nitro
- Yinka Shonibare CBE RA
- Marco Scotini
- Caroline Corbetta
- Santa Nastro
- Otobong Nkanga
- Big Chief Demond
- Cecilia Vasquez Yui
- Vera Tamari
- Edouard Duval-Carrié
- BuBu de La Madeleine
- Yoshido Shimada
- Alice Maher
- Adebunmi Gbadebo
- Carsten Höller
- Kader Attia
- fierce pussy
- Rasha Salti
- Siddhartha Mitter
- James Baldwin
- Florence Lazar
- Tabita Rezaire
- Ayan Farah
- Sara Flores
- Nabil Nahas
- Lubaina Himid
- Magda Stawarska
- Miet Warlop
- Oriol Vilanova
- Yto Barrada
- Florentina Holzinger
- Chiara Camoni
- Alma Allen
- Bogna Burska
- Daniel Kotowski
- Amina Agueznay
- Malika Benmoumen
- Roger Payne
- Gottfried Semper
- Donald Trump
- JR
- Shim Moon-Seup
- Julian Charrière
- Klara Kristalova
- Hans Hartung
- Hernan Bas
- Paola Pivi
- Gelitin
- Monira Al Qadiri
- Adriana Varejão
- Rosana Paulino
- Abbas Akhavan
- Sung Tieu
- Andreas Angelidakis
- Torkwase Dyson
- Laurie Anderson
- Zoe Leonard
- Carolina Caycedo
- Marinella Senatore
- Melissa McGill
- David Reimondo
- Leandro Erlich
- Dana Awartani
- Isabel Nolan
- Ei Arakawa-Nash
- Nolan Oswald Dennis
- Robert Rauschenberg
- Helen Frankenthaler
- Mark Bradford
- Simone Leigh
- Hans Ulrich Obrist
- Brian Eno
- Patti Smith
- Meredith Monk
- Terry Riley
- Anish Kapoor
- Jan Fabre
- Marina Abramović
- Georg Baselitz
- Lorna Simpson
- Alvaro Barrington
- Godfried Donko
- Joana Hadjithomas
- Khalil Joreige
- Natalia Lassalle-Morillo
- Tuấn Andrew Nguyễn
- Wardha Shabbir
- Tintoretto
- Giorgione
- Titian
- Veronese
- Ulay
- Stefan Lochner
- Hildegard of Bingen
- Carlo Scarpa
- Elke Baselitz
- Jon Cuyson
- Jenna Sutela
- Arthur Jafa
- Richard Prince
- Kandis Williams
- Meriem Bennani
- Orian Barki
- Tai Shani
- Matt Copson
- Gabriel García Márquez
- Chiharu Shiota
- Simone Weil
- Zhanna Kadyrova
- Benjamin Orlow
- Tori Wrånes
- Sverre Fehn
- Shai Baitel
- Jim Jarmusch
- Laraaji
- Moor Mother
- FKA Twigs
- Precious Okoyomo
- Ben Vickers
- Arch Hades
- Jenny Saville
- Elisabetta Barisoni
- Lee Sharrock
Institutions
- Venice Biennale
- Central Pavilion
- Arsenale
- Nairobi Contemporary Art Institute
- Artnet News
- Parfumerie
- Giardini della Biennale
- Denniston Hill
- Makerere University
- G.A.S. Guest Artist Foundation
- Kunsthaus Paradiso
- Artribune
- Biennale di Venezia
- exibart.com
- BAK
- Studio Labics
- Pace Gallery
- Sfeir-Semler Gallery
- Hollybush Gardens Gallery
- Zachęta National Gallery of Art
- Ministère de la Jeunesse, de la Culture et de la Communication du Maroc
- Connaissance des Arts
- Département d'Etat (US State Department)
- La Biennale di Venezia
- Perrotin
- Gagosian
- Hauser & Wirth
- Lehmann Maupin
- Victoria Miro
- Mendes Wood DM
- Olney Gleason
- Galleria Raffaella Cortese
- Massimo De Carlo
- Continua
- Lisson Gallery
- Goodman Gallery
- Galerie Lelong & Co.
- Lia Rumma
- Mazzoleni
- SpazioA
- Andrew Creps
- Emalin
- Isabella Bortolozzi
- Elba Benítez
- Àngels Barcelona
- Hollybush Gardens
- Green Naftali
- The Breeder
- Kurimanzutto
- Power Station of Art
- Chantal Crousel
- Art Basel
- Artnet
- New York Times
- Fondazione Querini Stampalia
- Ca' Pesaro
- Teatro Goldoni
- Fondazione Berengo
- Museo Correr
- Negozio Olivetti
- Palazzo Bragadin Carabba
- Ca' Faccanon
- The Venice Venice Hotel
- State Department
- US Pavilion
- INFERNO
- Scuola Grande di San Rocco
- Galleria Gaburro
- Fondation Linda et Guy Pieters
- Palazzo Manfrin
- Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art
- Punta della Dogana
- Pinault Collection
- Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Fondazione Giorgio Cini
- Gallerie dell'Accademia
- FAI – Fondo per l'Ambiente Italiano ETS
- Galleria Continua
- MORPHO
- KANAL-Centre Pompidou
- Dhaka Art Summit
- Gropius Bau
- Thaddaeus Ropac Gallery
- Wolff Architects
- Fondazione Prada
- Pier Luigi Nervi Foundation
- Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo
- Fondazione Dries Van Noten
- Frame Contemporary Art Finland
- Abitare
- Biennale de Venise
- MoMA
- Tate Modern
- Creative Australia
- Rostec
- Fondation Biennale
- U.S. Department of State
- Gallerie dell'Accademia di Venezia
- Modern Art Museum (MAM) Shanghai
- Holy See Pavilion
- Dicastery for Culture and Education
- Soundwalk Collective
- British Pavilion
- Erarta Foundation
- International Gallery of Modern Art at Ca' Pesaro
- FAD Magazine
Locations
- Venice
- Italy
- Cape Town
- South Africa
- New Orleans
- United States
- Kuwait
- Zurich
- Switzerland
- Cameroon
- Gaza
- Israel
- Palestine
- Lebanon
- Iran
- Giardini
- Arsenale
- Toronto
- Canada
- Matanzas
- Cuba
- Beirut
- Barbados
- Schoten
- Accra
- Ghana
- Riverside
- Chicago
- London
- United Kingdom
- San Salvador
- El Salvador
- Myanmar
- Chbanieh
- Kampala
- Uganda
- Tanzania
- Nigeria
- Europe
- Osaka
- Japan
- Ramallah
- Haiti
- Rohingya
- Rome
- Vietnam
- Liban
- Royaume-Uni
- Belgique
- Espagne
- France
- Autriche
- Italie
- États-Unis
- Pologne
- Royaume du Maroc
- Dakar
- Senegal
- Tombouctou
- Mali
- Casablanca
- Morocco
- Yule
- Colorado
- Washington
- Somalia
- Peru
- Basel
- Germany
- Spain
- Greece
- Brazil
- Africa
- Murano
- Austria
- Belgium
- Vatican City
- Cannaregio
- Isola San Giorgio Maggiore
- Piazza San Marco
- San Geminiano
- Brussels
- New York
- Gateshead
- Naples
- China
- Belgian Pavilion
- Finnish Pavilion
- Greek Pavilion
- Palazzo Nervi Scattolin
- Isola di San Giacomo
- Palazzo Pisani Moretta
- Philippines
- Finland
- Paris
- Tanger
- Amsterdam
- Netherlands
- Utah
- Mexico
- Sydney
- Australia
- Pokrovsk
- Ukraine
- Budapest
- Hungary
- Sweden
- Norway
- Gallerie dell'Accademia
- Giardino Mistico dei Carmelitani Scalzi
- Complesso di Santa Maria Ausiliatrice
- Castello
- British Pavilion
- Scoletta Battioro e Tiraoro di Venezia
- Grand Canal
- Ca' Pesaro