The Defining Themes of Today’s Biennial Art

The article analyzes the defining themes and styles of the past four years in the international biennial circuit, based on a survey of 130 biennials. It identifies a core group of artists who appeared most frequently, including Ali Eyal, Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Carolina Caycedo, Kapwani Kiwanga, and Tuan Andrew Nguyen, among others. Many of these artists are also featured in the upcoming 61st Venice Biennale curated by the late Koyo Kouoh. The piece categorizes their work under two broad themes: "Post-Colonial Post-Conceptualism," which involves poetic engagement with colonial history and artifacts, and "Families and Networks," where artists explore personal and political family histories.

How Painter Akira Ikezoe Became This Spring’s Breakout Star in New York

Japanese-born painter Akira Ikezoe has become a breakout star in New York this spring, appearing simultaneously in two prestigious exhibitions: the Whitney Biennial and MoMA PS1's Greater New York. His absurdist, diagrammatic paintings—featuring naked figures, skeletons, and dairy-centric narratives—have drawn significant attention from curators and critics. Despite lacking a New York gallery, Ikezoe is represented by Proyectos Ultravioleta in Guatemala City and was also included in the 2025 Sharjah Biennial, positioning him for rapid ascent in the art world.

11 Must-See Shows During New York Art Week 2026

New York Art Week 2026 is set to be a packed event, with major art fairs including Frieze, TEFAF, and Independent all scheduled within a single week this May. The art world will arrive directly from the Venice Biennale, and New York galleries are opening their major spring exhibitions to coincide with the influx of curators and collectors.

Several Eternities in a Day: Form in the Age of Living Materials

The Hammer Museum in Los Angeles presents "Several Eternities in a Day: Form in the Age of Living Materials," a spring 2026 exhibition running from April 5 to August 23. Curated by Jill Spalding, the show features works by artists including Edgar Calel, Guadalupe Maravilla, Carmen Argote, and others, exploring the concept of "Brownness"—a fluid identity rooted in ancestral memory, animal kinship, and a profound connection to living materials. The exhibition is organized into three acts: large-scale installations, paintings and works on paper, and ceramics, offering a visceral and immersive experience that draws on precolonial traditions across the Americas.

Form in the Age of Living Materials. Interview with Curator Pablo José Ramírez

LA FORMA EN LA ERA DE LOS MATERIALES VIVOS. ENTREVISTA AL CURADOR PABLO JOSÉ RAMÍREZ

The Hammer Museum in Los Angeles is presenting "Several Eternities in a Day: Form in the Age of Living Materials," an exhibition curated by Pablo José Ramírez running until August 23. Featuring 22 artists from the Americas, the show explores materials such as avocado, cacao, achiote, cochineal, stone, clay, and natural dyes that evolve, degrade, or transform over time. Organized into three acts, the exhibition challenges conventional notions of the art object by treating these materials as living agents with memory and agency, rooted in Indigenous knowledge and the concept of "brownness." In an interview, Ramírez discusses how these materials destabilize extractivist logics and institutional frameworks, forcing a rethinking of conservation protocols and the very conditions of exhibition-making.

Frist Art Museum Presents Exhibition Spanning 100 Years of Contemporary Indigenous Art, Highlighting a Continuum of Elders and Emerging Makers

The Frist Art Museum is presenting a new exhibition that spans 100 years of contemporary Indigenous art, featuring works from both established elders and emerging makers. The show aims to highlight the continuity and evolution of Indigenous artistic practices across generations.

Frist Art Museum Will Present 100 Years of Contemporary Indigenous Art

The Frist Art Museum in Nashville will present "An Indigenous Present," an exhibition spanning 100 years of modern and contemporary Indigenous art, from June 26 to September 27, 2026. Co-curated by artist Jeffrey Gibson and independent curator Jenelle Porter, the show features 15 artists who use abstraction as a tool for liberated expression, including Teresa Baker, Raven Chacon, Kimowan Metchewais, Caroline Monnet, George Morrison, Mary Sully, Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, and Kay WalkingStick. Organized by the Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston, the exhibition draws from Gibson and Porter's landmark 2023 publication of the same title and is structured into five thematic sections that place emerging artists in dialogue with established makers.