Venice Biennale 2026: Queues, Strikes, and Thanatology

The 2026 Venice Biennale opened on May 7-8 with record queues and VIP numbers, yet the main exhibition at the Giardini and Arsenale suffered from curatorial disorganization, poor lighting, and overcrowded displays that diminished works by artists like Vasquez Yui, Seyni Awa Camara, and Guadalupe Maravilla. Protests against the Israeli and Russian pavilions occurred on May 6, led by Pussy Riot, FEMEN, and Art Not Genocide Alliance. On May 8, a strike saw pavilions from France, Netherlands, Belgium, and Austria close all day, while Qatar and Egypt remained open. The Biennale faced criticism for selective indignation, with no mention of Saudi Arabia's role in Sudan or India's partition history. Meanwhile, luxury brands like Chanel and Bulgari hosted artists, and sales of works from the central exhibition and pavilions were finalized by May 5-6. The event highlighted a growing gap between artists with access to high-tech spectacle and those without, as well as the dominance of entertainment logic over curatorial coherence.