Artist Isabel Nolan will represent Ireland at the 61st Venice Biennale in 2026 with an exhibition titled 'Dreamshook' in the Arsenale. Her presentation will feature a room of tapestries, sculptures, and drawings, inspired by late Medieval European humanist thinkers who questioned inherent human goodness and sought meaning in earthly life.
An activist group called Art Not Genocide Alliance has published an open letter demanding the Venice Biennale eject Israel from this year's exhibition. The letter has been signed by nearly 200 artists, curators, and arts workers participating in the 2026 Biennale, including members of the main exhibition's curatorial team and contributors to several national pavilions. The letter accuses Israel of genocide and apartheid, and references the 2024 Biennale where Israel's pavilion remained closed due to similar protests.
Morad Montazami has been named the artistic director for the 16th edition of the Dakar Biennale, scheduled to run from November 19 to December 19, 2026. Titled "(Anti)Fragility: Arts of Repair and Counter-Shock Strategies," the exhibition will explore themes of community-led restoration and the transformation of vulnerability into collective strength. Montazami, a former Tate Modern curator and founder of the platform Zamân Books & Curating, brings an extensive background in postcolonial art histories and global modernisms to the prestigious African forum.
The St. Louis-based triennial Counterpublic has unveiled the artist list for its third edition, titled "Coyote Time," scheduled to run from September 12 to December 12, 2025. The exhibition features 47 artists and collectives, including major figures such as Glenn Ligon, Rebecca Belmore, and Rirkrit Tiravanija, alongside posthumous presentations of works by Juanita McNeely and Benjamin Patterson. Curated by a five-person international team, the triennial will activate various sites across the city, including the Mississippi Riverfront and the historically Black neighborhood of The Ville.
The 2026 Venice Biennale, titled "In Minor Keys," marks a significant pivot from the historical revisionism of recent editions toward a focus on contemporary, mid-career artists. Posthumously realized based on the vision of the late Koyo Kouoh, the exhibition features 111 participants, including a notable inclusion of artist-led organizations from Africa. Data analysis reveals a balanced demographic split between the Global North and South, moving away from the retrospective focus of predecessors like Adriano Pedrosa and Cecilia Alemani to prioritize living artists and subtler, emotional themes.
The Vatican has announced a star-studded lineup of musicians and artists for its pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale, titled "The Ear Is the Eye of the Soul." Curated by Hans Ulrich Obrist and Ben Vickers in collaboration with Soundwalk Collective, the exhibition features commissioned sound works from figures including Brian Eno, FKA Twigs, Patti Smith, and the late Alexander Kluge. The project is inspired by the 12th-century mystic Saint Hildegard of Bingen and will be staged across two historic Venetian locations: the Mystical Garden of the Discalced Carmelites and the Complesso di Santa Maria Ausiliatrice.
Italian conceptual artist Maurizio Cattelan has launched a new project: a hotline and WhatsApp service inviting the public to confess their sins. The project, timed to coincide with the Easter period and the 21st anniversary of Pope John Paul II's death, will culminate in a livestream on April 23 where Cattelan will offer a form of symbolic absolution to selected participants. Alongside the hotline, he is releasing a limited edition of 666 small-scale replicas of his controversial 1999 sculpture, *The Ninth Hour*, which depicts the late pope struck by a meteorite.
Somalia's inaugural pavilion at the Venice Biennale has sparked significant backlash from the nation's domestic art community. Four major Somali art spaces and nine local artists issued a joint statement criticizing the pavilion for failing to include or consult artists currently living and working within Somalia. The controversy centers on the selection of three diaspora artists based in Europe and the appointment of a Venice-based co-curator, which critics argue ignores the cultural workers who have rebuilt the country's art scene under difficult conditions.
Thomas Zipp gestorben
The Berlin-based artist Thomas Zipp has died. His gallery, Barbara Thumm, announced the news on Saturday. Zipp, born in 1966, was a professor of painting and multimedia at the Berlin University of the Arts and was considered one of the most significant figures in German contemporary art since the 1990s. His work was shown internationally at venues including the Venice Biennale and museums in New York, London, and Zurich.
Norwegian artist Siri Aurdal, known for her pioneering use of industrial materials to create socially-driven sculptures, has died at the age of 88 in Oslo. Born into a prominent artistic family, Aurdal rose to prominence in the late 1960s by repurposing materials like reinforced fiberglass and plexiglass—often sourced from Norway’s oil industry—into modular, interactive installations. Her work frequently bridged the gap between fine art and public utility, manifesting in monumental playground structures and politically charged pieces that responded to global events like the Vietnam War.
Annunciati i candidati al Festival di Cannes 2026 (pure qui niente italiani, come alla Biennale)
The 79th edition of the Cannes Film Festival has unveiled its official selection for 2026, scheduled to run from May 12 to 23. Led by President Iris Knobloch and General Delegate Thierry Frémaux, the festival will open with Pierre Salvadori’s 'La Vénus électrique,' a romantic comedy set in 1928 Paris centered on a painter who loses his inspiration. The competition lineup features a global array of heavyweights, including new works by Pedro Almodóvar, Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Hirokazu Kore-eda, and Asghar Farhadi.
Amrita Jhaveri, a Brown University alumna, has transitioned from a pioneering role at Christie’s to becoming a central figure in the global promotion of South Asian art. After launching Christie’s Mumbai office in the 1990s—a time when modern Indian masterpieces sold for a fraction of their current multi-million dollar values—she co-founded Jhaveri Contemporary with her sister Priya. The gallery has gained international prestige by placing works by overlooked, female, and queer South Asian artists into the permanent collections of major institutions like the Tate Modern, the Met, and MoMA.
Melissa Chiu has been appointed as the new director of the Guggenheim Museum in New York, departing her long-standing role at the Smithsonian's Hirshhorn Museum. Additionally, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) has announced that its highly anticipated, $724 million David Geffen Galleries will finally open to the public on May 4, while the Vatican revealed plans for a sound-based pavilion at the Venice Biennale dedicated to Saint Hildegard of Bingen.
第61回ヴェネツィア・ビエンナーレ参加アーティストおよびキュレーターによる緊急要請
A group of 73 artists and curators participating in the 61st Venice Biennale, including Yoshiko Shimada and Bubu de la Madeleine, have issued an urgent demand to the Biennale's board to revoke Israel's participation. The collective specifically objects to the decision to relocate the Israeli pavilion to the Arsenale, arguing that its presence contradicts the curatorial vision of Artistic Director Koyo Kouoh, which emphasizes the dignity of all life. They contend that the military and police presence required for the pavilion introduces an atmosphere of violence and fear that undermines the exhibition's integrity.
The Kochi Biennale Foundation has appointed contemporary artist and curator Jitish Kallat as the new president of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale. He will chair the selection committee for the next edition's curator, succeeding co-founder Bose Krishnamachari, who resigned earlier this year.
Residenze, mostre ed eventi. Ecco i programmi della nuova fondazione Società delle Api che ha aperto a Roma
The Società delle Api foundation, established by collector Silvia Fiorucci in 2018, has officially inaugurated its new permanent headquarters in Rome on Via Gregoriana. The move marks a strategic shift for the organization, which previously operated across a decentralized network of locations in Monaco, France, and Greece. The 2026-2027 program focuses on artistic production as a shared process, featuring residencies and exhibitions by artists such as Pol Taburet, Chiara Camoni, and Francis Offman, alongside multidisciplinary public programs covering poetry and architecture.
Spectral Birds Endemic to New Zealand Find New Life in Fiona Pardington’s Portraits
New Zealand artist Fiona Pardington will present her photographic series *Taharaki Skyside* in the Aotearoa New Zealand Pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale. The large-scale, spectral portraits depict preserved specimens of endemic birds, including extinct and critically endangered species like the huia and the South Island Takahe, captured from within the country's natural history collections.
Dublin’s Kerlin Gallery is hosting "Stasis field," a solo exhibition by Kathy Prendergast featuring sculpture, works on paper, and installations. The show highlights Prendergast’s long-standing fascination with cartography, where she subverts traditional maps using materials like textile, chalk, stone, and hand-applied pigments. Key works include hand-painted volcanic maps and a three-meter-high painted branch, all created through the artist's signature methodical and repetitive hand-crafting processes.
Twenty-two European ministers, led by Latvia's Minister of Culture Agnese Līce, have signed a joint letter calling for Russia to be barred from the 61st Venice Biennale. The ministers argue that Russia's planned participation, following its voluntary absence since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, would misuse a major cultural platform to legitimize military aggression and undermine international sanctions.
Artist Merike Estna will represent Estonia at the 61st Venice Biennale in 2026 with a project that transforms the national pavilion into an active, open studio. Eschewing the display of finished products, Estna plans to start with empty canvases and complete a series of 22 paintings over the course of the exhibition, allowing visitors to witness the "living" process of creation.
Artist Yto Barrada, selected to represent France at the Venice Biennale, has stated that the French government and pavilion organizers were fully aware of her political views when they chose her. This follows criticism from the Representative Council of French Jewish Institutions (CRIF), which denounced Barrada for signing an open letter calling for Israel's exclusion from the Biennale and suggested the government should force her to withdraw her signature.
The Kunsthalle Mannheim is presenting "Dollhouse – A Retrospective," a major posthumous exhibition dedicated to the work of American artist Kaari Upson. The show brings together her sculptures, installations, videos, and drawings, which explore memory, identity, and social reality through the lens of her personal biography.
Artist Genti Korini will represent Albania at the 61st Venice Biennale with a new moving-image installation titled 'A Place in the Sun.' Curated by Małgorzata Ludwisiak, the project utilizes 'Zaum'—a transrational language from the Russian Futurist movement—to explore themes of performance, puppetry, and animation. The work investigates Albania’s historical position as a 'somewhere place' often defined by external exoticism and orientalist perceptions rather than its own internal voice.
The European Cultural Centre Italy has announced the eighth edition of its biennial contemporary art exhibition, 'Personal Structures – Confluences,' set to run from May 9 to November 22, 2026, in Venice. Spanning Palazzo Bembo, Palazzo Mora, and the Marinaressa Gardens, the massive showcase will feature 175 artists from over 40 countries, including high-profile figures like ORLAN, Rashid Al Khalifa, and Hirohiko Araki. This edition introduces 'PS Design,' a new section dedicated to the intersection of art and architecture, and will host the national pavilions of El Salvador and Seychelles alongside a significant collaboration with the Palestine Museum US.
Artist Manon Awst and curator Dylan Huw will represent Wales at the 61st Venice Biennale with a project titled "Sownd." The exhibition, located at the Istituto Santa Maria della Pietà, features a sculptural environment inspired by the peatlands of North Wales. Central to the installation is a wooden boardwalk that mirrors both the boggy terrain of the Welsh landscape and the flood-prone pathways of Venice, integrating material samples, oral poetic traditions, and the ancient Welsh craft of cynghanedd.
Sara Flores will represent Peru at the 61st Venice Biennale in 2026 with an immersive exhibition titled 'From Other Worlds.' The presentation, curated with Issela Ccoyllo and Matteo Norzi, will feature large-scale kené paintings, ethereal sculptures, and a video work in the Arsenale, aiming to create portals to Shipibo-Konibo ancestral knowledge and Indigenous futures.
Bose Krishnamachari resigned as director of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale and from the board of its foundation in January. The Kochi Biennale Foundation chairperson has now stated the resignation followed a December complaint alleging Krishnamachari sexually harassed a female employee at his apartment, making unwanted remarks and advances. Krishnamachari had initially cited family reasons for his departure.
Lubaina Himid will represent Great Britain at the 61st Venice Biennale in 2026. She plans to exhibit a new installation of large, multi-panel paintings and works on found objects, accompanied by a sound piece by Magda Stawarska, all inspired by her lifelong exploration of belonging. The work aims to navigate melancholy and deep remembering, inviting visitors to bring their own experiences into the pavilion.
National Gallery Singapore has launched the third and final installment of its free online course series, titled "Art and the Environment in Southeast Asia: Making in a Changing World." The course examines how contemporary artists from the region—including Art Labor, Sharon Chin, Sopheap Pich, and Robert Zhao Renhui—respond to ecological issues through community-engaged and place-specific practices, using works like Chin's participatory beach ceremony and Zhao's Venice Biennale installation.
A group of seventy-four artists and curators participating in the 61st Venice Biennale have issued an urgent letter to the institution's leadership, including director Pietrangelo Buttafuoco. The signatories are protesting the decision to relocate the Israeli Pavilion to the Arsenale, placing it in close proximity to the central exhibition, "In Minor Keys," which was conceived by the late curator Koyo Kouoh. The group argues that this relocation violates Kouoh’s curatorial vision of radical solidarity and introduces a threatening military and police presence into the exhibition space.