Naked jetskiers, giant bells and a celebrity seagull! Venice Biennale’s wildest moments – in pictures

The Guardian presents a photo essay capturing the most eccentric and memorable moments from the 61st Venice Biennale, running until 22 November 2026. Photographer David Levene documents installations including a concrete 'Origami Deer' evacuated from war-torn Pokrovsk, Ukraine, by artist Zhanna Kadyrova; a seagull that became a minor celebrity after nesting outside the Polish pavilion; and the Holy See pavilion's immersive sound installation curated by Hans Ulrich Obrist and Ben Vickers. Other highlights include the Egyptian pavilion's touch-and-smell 'Silence Pavilion' and a Polish pavilion film featuring deaf and hearing singers.

What does a woman swimming in urine tell us about the state of the world? Lots! – Venice Biennale review

The 2026 Venice Biennale, curated by the late Koyo Kouoh under the theme "In Minor Keys," has been plagued by months of turmoil including countries withdrawing, artists being fired, exhibitions cancelled, funding pulled, and protests during the preview. A five-person curatorial team took over after Kouoh's death, resulting in what the critic describes as a disjointed, committee-driven exhibition that prioritizes quiet contemplation and healing over direct political engagement. The central shows in the Giardini and Arsenale feature a vast, poorly explained array of art from the global south, with installations of ceramics, textiles, slide projectors, and serene natural scenes that the critic finds anachronistic and dull.

Venice Biennale Special 2026—podcast

This episode of The Art Newspaper's podcast is a Venice Biennale special, covering the opening week of the 2026 edition. Host Ben Luke, along with Louisa Buck and Jane Morris, reviews the main exhibition "In Minor Keys," curated by the late Koyo Kouoh and realized by five collaborators. The podcast features interviews with artists Gabrielle Goliath, whose work for the South African pavilion was cancelled and is instead staged in a Venice church, and Lubaina Himid, showing in the British pavilion. It also includes conversations with writer Saidiya Hartman and Daniella Kaliada of Belarus Free Theatre about their collateral projects. The episode concludes with a focus on two restored Tintoretto paintings at the Basilica of San Giorgio Maggiore, funded by Save Venice.

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South Africa selected a work by artist Gabrielle Goliath for its Venice Biennale pavilion, then rescinded the decision on January 2, just eight days before the finalization deadline. The culture ministry, led by Minister Gayton McKenzie, objected to a section of Goliath's "Elegy" series that included words by Palestinian poet Hiba Abu Nada, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike in 2023. The pavilion's selection committee publicly disagreed with the cancellation, calling it censorship and highlighting a history of mismanagement.

The Must-See Exhibitions in Milan During Art Week 2026

Le mostre da non perdere a Milano durante i giorni dell’Art Week 2026

Milan Art Week 2026 features a series of major solo exhibitions across the city's premier contemporary art institutions. Fondazione Prada is hosting site-specific installations by Mona Hatoum exploring global instability alongside Cao Fei’s multimedia investigation into the technological revolution of agriculture. Meanwhile, Pirelli HangarBicocca presents Benni Bosetto’s architectural exploration of the female body and Rirkrit Tiravanija’s interactive examination of authorship and communal space.

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Cultured magazine has compiled a guide to art exhibitions worth visiting during Milan Design Week 2026, beyond the main Salone del Mobile fair. Featured shows include Rirkrit Tiravanija's first retrospective at Pirelli HangarBicocca, Cao Fei's exploration of smart agriculture at Fondazione Prada, Anselm Kiefer's dual exhibitions at Palazzo Reale and Lia Rumma Gallery, Gabrielle Goliath's painting show at Galleria Raffaella Cortese, and Dozie Kanu's mirroring of Marc Camille Chaimowicz at Fondazione ICA Milano.

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Artist Gabrielle Goliath was dropped by her South African representative, Goodman Gallery, before the cancellation of her proposed Venice Biennale pavilion, according to a report by Daily Maverick. Goliath was one of around a dozen artists who exited the gallery between last fall and the present. The gallery clarified that it did not end representation because of her pavilion, citing a structural business review and market contraction. Goliath had been with the gallery for over a decade and will continue to be represented by Galleria Raffaella Cortese. After her representation ended, South African culture minister Gayton McKenzie canceled her pavilion, which was to address killings of women and queer people in South Africa, a genocide in Namibia, and Israel’s war in Gaza. McKenzie denied censorship, claiming interference by an unnamed foreign country, later reported by Ynetnews to be Qatar.

Female nudity and art that stinks: key takeaways from Venice Biennale 2026

The 2026 Venice Biennale opened with 99 participating countries, including first-timers Somalia and Qatar, under the shadow of curator Koyo Kouoh's death. Her planned theme of "enhancement" and the main show "In Minor Keys" were disrupted by political protests: Pussy Riot objected to Russia's inclusion, and a strike against Israel's participation forced several national pavilions (UK, Austria, France) to close. Key takeaways include pervasive female nudity across pavilions, debates over Russia's presence, criticism of the US pavilion's lackluster art, maritime themes dominating several shows, and the rise of olfactory art.

A Time of Transition

During the preview week of the 61st Venice Biennale, escalating protests targeted the national pavilions of Israel and Russia, with demonstrations by Pussy Riot, ANGA (Art Not Genocide Alliance), and Baltic pavilions. A major protest on May 8 drew over 3,000 people in solidarity with Palestine, and 27 national pavilions—including Austria, the Netherlands, France, and Japan—staged a strike, the first at the Biennale since 1968. The Golden Lion jury resigned after declaring they would not consider countries under ICC investigation (Israel and Russia), and the Biennale administration replaced the prize with a visitors' award, from which half the artists in the main exhibition have withdrawn.

Must-see exhibitions in New York this autumn

The Museum of Modern Art is celebrating the 40th anniversary of its New Photography series with 'New Photography 2025: Lines of Belonging,' featuring 12 international artists from Mexico City, Johannesburg, Kathmandu, and New Orleans. Other must-see exhibitions include 'Ministry: Reverend Joyce McDonald' at the Bronx Museum, showcasing the artist's ceramic works born from her HIV diagnosis and art therapy; 'The Magical City: George Morrison’s New York' at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, highlighting the overlooked Abstract Expressionist painter; and 'Christian Marclay: Doors' at the Brooklyn Museum, a cinematic supercut in the new Moving Image Gallery.

Hyperallergic’s Guide to the 2026 Venice Biennale

Hyperallergic has published its guide to the 2026 Venice Biennale, detailing what to see and do at this year's edition. The guide covers the three main categories of the Biennale—the Giardini with 29 permanent national pavilions, the Arsenale with temporary rented spaces, and collateral events across the city. Key developments include the return of Russia to its permanent Giardini pavilion and Israel's participation with a new contractual stipulation preventing its artist from closing the pavilion, after Ruth Patir's protest in 2024. South Africa withdrew following the cancellation of Gabrielle Goliath's video installation 'Elegy,' which mourns victims of Israel's genocide in Gaza and will now be shown at a historic church. The United States will be represented by Alma Allen after Barbara Chase-Riboud stepped down, and Qatar is set to become the first country in decades to build a new pavilion in the Giardini.

Previews: 61st Venice Biennale: In Minor Keys

The 61st Venice Biennale, titled "In Minor Keys" and curated by the late Koyo Kouoh, opens amid global turmoil and internal controversy. Kouoh, who passed away in May 2025, conceived the exhibition around the metaphor of a "creole garden," emphasizing deep affinities between 111 artists from diverse locations such as Dakar, Beirut, and Salvador. The Biennale is overshadowed by recent geopolitical events, including US-Israeli airstrikes on Iran, and faces protests: over 70 participating artists signed an open letter opposing the participation of Israel, Russia, and the US, while the Australian pavilion saw the reinstatement of Khaled Sabsabi after being dropped, and South Africa withdrew its official pavilion over Gabrielle Goliath's femicide project, which she will still present independently.

Venice Biennale: South African pavilion scandal, Marian Goodman remembered, Paul Cezanne in Basel—podcast

South Africa's culture minister, Gayton McKenzie, has cancelled the country's planned pavilion at the upcoming Venice Biennale, a project by artist Gabrielle Goliath and curator Ingrid Masondo. The artist and curator are fighting the decision, appealing to the nation's president and filing a case with the high court.

Across Venice, Artists Defy Censorship to Mourn and Memorialize Gaza

The 2026 Venice Biennale, titled “In Minor Keys,” features numerous artworks that mourn and memorialize the destruction of Gaza, despite censorship pressures. The main exhibition opens with a poem by slain Palestinian poet Refaat Alareer, and includes works by artists such as Theo Eshetu, Mohammed Joha, Manuel Mathieu, and Avi Mograbi that directly or indirectly address the conflict. Outside the official Biennale, South African artist Gabrielle Goliath’s performance series “Elegy” was censored by her country’s culture minister after she proposed a version honoring murdered Palestinian poet Hiba Abu Nada, leading her to present the work independently at a church in Venice.

Weekly News Roundup: May 5, 2026

The article reports three major developments in the global art world. Saudi Arabia's Diriyah Company has awarded a $490 million contract for a new flagship space of the Saudi Arabia Museum of Contemporary Art (SAMoCA) in Diriyah, designed by Godwin Austen Johnson. The Sharjah Art Foundation has announced details for Sharjah Biennial 17 (SB17), titled "What remains, sits restive," curated by Angela Harutyunyan and Paula Nascimento, featuring 109 artists and set to open in 2027. Additionally, DATALAND, a new AI art museum founded by Refik Anadol and Efsun Erkılıç, will open on June 20 in Los Angeles, showcasing digital and immersive artworks.

The art of politics: how global conflicts are playing out in this year's Venice Biennale

Israel is making a controversial return to the 2025 Venice Art Biennale after its pavilion was locked in 2024 with a note demanding a ceasefire in Gaza. The artist representing Israel, Belu-Simion Fainaru, will present his project "Rose of Nothingness" in the Arsenale, while Russia also returns to the Biennale after its Giardini pavilion was reassigned to Bolivia in 2024. The Art Not Genocide Alliance (ANGA) has renewed calls for a boycott and is organizing strike action to disrupt the event, accusing Israel of genocide.

Artists Criticize Somalia’s First-Ever Venice Biennale Pavilion: ‘This Pavilion Does Not Speak for Us’

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.

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South Africa has canceled its submission for the 2024 Venice Biennale, a performance piece titled *Elegy* by artist Gabrielle Goliath, because the work planned to commemorate the deaths of women and children in Gaza. Culture minister Gayton McKenzie withdrew financial support and terminated the partnership with the organizing nonprofit Art Periodic, calling the project "highly divisive" and related to a polarizing international conflict. Goliath, curator Ingrid Masondo, and their colleague James Macdonald have condemned the decision as censorship, while the selection committee that unanimously chose Goliath described it as an abuse of executive authority.

Best in Show: 6 Standouts at the 2026 Venice Biennale

Artnet News writers highlight six standout exhibitions at the 2026 Venice Biennale, which opens to the public on May 9. Among the picks are Ei Arakawa-Nash's interactive installation "Grass Babies, Moon Babies" at the Japan Pavilion, featuring baby dolls and diaper-changing stations; Florentina Holzinger's provocative performance "Seaworld Venice" at the Austria Pavilion, involving nude performers, jet skis, and recycled wastewater; and Dayanita Singh's photographic exhibition "Archivio" at the State Archives of Venice, presenting intimate black-and-white images arranged as freestanding columns.

Art and politics clash at Venice Biennale, as world conflicts upstage exhibition's opening

The 61st Venice Biennale, the world's most prestigious art exhibition, opens under unprecedented turmoil. For the first time, its vision was shaped by the late Cameroonian curator Koyo Kouoh, who centered artists from Africa and its diaspora. However, political conflicts over Russia and Israel have overshadowed the art. All five jurors resigned after the Italian culture minister investigated their decision to withhold prizes from Russia and Israel over alleged crimes against humanity. Protests erupted at the Russian pavilion, with Pussy Riot activists denouncing Russia's participation, while the Israeli pavilion artist threatened legal action over the jury's snub. The Biennale will proceed without a jury, with visitors voting for two awards, and the fate of the Golden Lion remains uncertain.

15 Must-See Events Enriching the Venice Biennale 2026 Experience.

The article presents a curated guide to 15 must-see events accompanying the 61st Venice Biennale, titled "In Minor Keys" and curated by the late Koyo Kouoh, running from May to November 2026. It highlights key exhibitions beyond the main pavilions, including "Screen Melancholy: Li Yi-Fan" at Palazzo delle Prigioni, "Darkness Visible: The Long Shadow of Dictatorship" at Spazio Punch, "Elegy" by Gabrielle Goliath at Chiesa di Sant'Antonin, and "As Above, So Below" at Ex Church Santi Cosma e Damiano, among others. These events span museums, foundations, and historic palazzi, featuring performances, talks, and curatorial interventions that extend the Biennale's reach across Venice.

Welcome to Venice: the shows you won’t want to miss at the 61st Biennale

The 61st Venice Biennale, titled "In Minor Keys," opens with a keynote exhibition conceived by the late Koyo Kouoh and realized by her team after her sudden death in May 2025. The show spans the Central Pavilion in the Giardini and the Arsenale, featuring 110 artists and collectives. Highlights include Bracha L. Ettinger's installation at the Hotel Metropole, where she transforms a room where Sigmund Freud wrote part of *The Interpretation of Dreams* into a feminist 'borderspace,' and works by artists such as Arthur Jafa, Richard Prince, Issa Samb, Beverly Buchanan, and Daniel Lind-Ramos. The exhibition explores themes of history, colonialism, war, and environmental destruction, aiming for a 'sotto voce' tone that nonetheless delivers powerful, liberating statements.

What not to miss at the 2026 Venice Biennale

The article highlights five standout pavilions and installations at the 2026 Venice Biennale. Florentina Holzinger's Austrian pavilion features extreme, nude performances including a woman submerged in a urine-purified tank, drawing police attention. Sanya Kantarovsky presents eerie paintings and a Murano glass sculpture in a historic palazzo. Gabrielle Goliath's 'Elegy'—a hypnotic mourning performance for women killed in violence—was banned by South Africa but staged with London's Ibraaz. Carrie Schneider's 1.5km photographic curl in the Arsenale references Chris Marker's 'La Jetée'. Lydia Ourahmane's delicate sculptural show uses materials sourced from Venice, including a bead curtain made by inmates.

Venice Bound? Here’s All the News You Need to Know About This Year’s Biennale

The 61st Venice Biennale is embroiled in geopolitical controversy over Russia's return to the event in 2026, which has sparked widespread backlash. Nearly 10,000 artists and cultural leaders signed an open letter opposing Russia's participation, and the European Union withdrew €2 million in funding for the 2028 edition. Leaked emails reveal Biennale officials worked with Russian pavilion commissioner Anastasia Karneeva to circumvent EU sanctions, while Italy's culture minister Alessandro Giuli plans to boycott the opening week. Meanwhile, activists continue to push for Israel's removal from the Biennale, though Israel will be accommodated in the Arsenale this year.

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The 61st Venice Biennale is taking shape as national pavilions announce their participants and curatorial themes for the 2026 edition. Russia has confirmed its return to the Giardini with a multidisciplinary exhibition titled “The Tree is Rooted in the Sky,” following its 2022 withdrawal and the 2024 loan of its pavilion to Bolivia. The upcoming edition, themed “In Minor Keys,” will proceed under the vision of the late curator Koyo Kouoh, who passed away in 2025 after becoming the first African woman appointed to helm the prestigious event.

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Christie’s has secured the estate of Belgian collectors Roger and Josette Vanthournout, with over 200 works to be sold in its March sales in London, including a René Magritte painting estimated at $4.7 million. Meanwhile, South Africa blames Qatar for the cancellation of its Venice Biennale pavilion featuring a work about Gaza violence by Gabrielle Goliath, claiming Qatar sought to use the pavilion for "proxy power." Art Cologne has announced 88 exhibitors for its revived Palma, Mallorca edition launching April 9.

Sharjah Art Foundation Announces 2027 Biennial Programming

Milano Art Week 2026 Tops and Flops: The Best and Worst of the Art Week

Milano Art Week 2026 top e flop: il meglio e il peggio della settimana dell’arte

The 2026 edition of Milano Art Week, anchored by the 30th anniversary of the miart fair, presented a mixed bag of organizational shifts and high-quality artistic programming. Key highlights included the successful Milanese debut of Paris Internationale at Palazzo Galbani and the emergence of new cultural hubs like Mulino Factory, which continue Milan's trend of repurposing industrial heritage. However, the primary fair's relocation to the Allianz MiCo South Wing drew criticism for its labyrinthine layout and logistical hurdles despite the scenic park setting.

In Pictures: The Highlights of the 2026 Venice Biennale

En images : les grands moments de la Biennale de Venise 2026

The 2026 Venice Biennale, titled "In Minor Keys" and curated by Koyo Kouoh, opened on May 9, 2026, at the Arsenale and Giardini venues. Kouoh, who died suddenly in May 2025 at age 57, conceived the event as a counterpoint to global noise and fury, inviting visitors to slow down and tune into minor tonalities. The exhibition features works addressing colonial memory, slavery, and Gaza, with a team of four curators executing her vision. Highlights include Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons's tribute to Kouoh and Toni Morrison, Hala Schoukair's installation, and Gabrielle Goliath's "Elegy," alongside collateral shows like the Dries van Noten Foundation at Palazzo Pisani Moretta and the Victor Pinchuk Foundation's "Still Joy – from Ukraine into the World."

Ten Political Statements By Artists At The 2026 Venice Biennale

The 61st Venice Biennale opened with unprecedented political tension, set against the backdrop of the international jury's mass resignation, the death of curator Koyo Kouoh, Russia's closed pavilion, threats from the European Commission to withdraw funding, and Italy's culture minister boycotting the opening. The article highlights ten works and moments where art and power intersected most explicitly, including Alfredo Jaar's 'Red Room' installation in the Chilean pavilion confronting humanitarian crisis, and Ukraine's collateral event 'Still Joy' at Palazzo Contarini Polignac, which frames joy as an act of resistance amid war.