It’s the Most Controversial Venice Biennale in Years. Can the Art Stand Up to the Noise?

The 2026 Venice Biennale is embroiled in controversy, with the US Pavilion at the center of a political storm. The Trump administration's State Department overhauled the selection process, bypassing the usual NEA panel and commissioning a nonprofit, the American Arts Conservancy, to organize the pavilion. Artist Alma Allen, who accepted the invitation despite threats from galleries and curators, presents a show that critics find politically muted. The Biennale's jury resigned days before the opening, and annual prizes were canceled, adding to the turmoil.

The Best Art Exhibitions To Visit In Hong Kong This May

This article highlights three art exhibitions in Hong Kong for May 2026. 'Seeds of Wishes' at JPS Gallery features black-and-white and colorful drawings by thirteen-year-old artist Yat Long, created after his diagnosis with a life-threatening disease, with a related CASETiFY phone case collection. 'Dial-A-Poem Hong Kong' at M+ presents an interactive installation based on John Giorno's 1969 project, offering newly recorded poems in Cantonese, English, and Mandarin by thirty local poets. 'Fallen Angels' at Hauser & Wirth showcases Nicole Eisenman's paintings and sculptures exploring middle-class life, departing from her usual crowded scenes.

At the 2026 Venice Biennale, pavilions shut down for pro-Palestine strike. The map of protests

Alla Biennale di Venezia 2026 serrata dei padiglioni per sciopero pro Palestina. La mappa delle proteste

On May 8, 2026, the third VIP preview day of the 61st Venice Biennale, a massive strike shut down numerous national pavilions and disrupted the exhibition. Led by the Art Not Genocide Alliance (Anga), the protest demands Israel's exclusion from the Biennale over allegations of genocide in Palestine, and also targets poor labor conditions in the cultural sector. Pavilions closed one after another due to staff shortages, and protest posters appeared around artworks at the Giardini and Arsenale. The strike involved the Biennale Foundation itself, along with about twenty contractors managing services and national pavilions, with unions Adl Cobas, USB Lavoro privato, and Cub supporting the action. Tensions rose when the UK Pavilion reportedly replaced striking staff to remain open, and the Foundation issued a statement falsely denying that its employees were covered by the strike.

Can a Venice Biennale Pavilion Be Rock ‘n’ Roll? At the Belgium Pavilion, Miet Warlop Makes the Case.

Miet Warlop, a Belgian artist known for her avant-garde theater work, is representing Belgium at the 2026 Venice Biennale with a performance-installation titled "IT NEVER SSST." The project transforms the Belgian Pavilion into a chaotic, sensory-filled space where performers climb wooden structures, bang drums, and break plaster boards inscribed with multilingual text, reflecting the noise and misunderstandings of contemporary life. Curated by Caroline Dumalin, the pavilion blurs the line between theater and visual art, with live performances occurring only part of the time while sculptors continuously remake plaster reliefs throughout the Biennale's run.

Nature is healing? Seagull lays eggs in the Giardini during Venice Biennale preview

During the VIP preview of the Venice Biennale, a seagull laid three eggs near the entrance of the Polish Pavilion in the Giardini. Pavilion staff built a protective barrier around the nest and warned visitors to avoid the protective bird, which one Italian collector called "the main attraction."