Tate Britain will Exhibit ‘90s Art and Fashion, and Other News.

Tate Britain will stage "The 90s: Art and Fashion" in autumn 2026, guest curated by Edward Enninful, featuring nearly 70 artists, designers, and photographers including Steve McQueen, Damien Hirst, Alexander McQueen, and Vivienne Westwood. The exhibition explores how the decade reshaped British cultural identity through art, fashion, and social commentary, highlighting DIY anti-fashion aesthetics and themes of identity, race, class, and representation. Separately, Gagosian opened a new ground-floor flagship at 980 Madison Avenue in New York, replacing its longtime sixth-floor space after 37 years. A rare 17th-century Mughal astrolabe is heading to Sotheby's London with a £1.5–2.5 million estimate. Fondazione Sozzani launched an award for emerging creative talent. A Manhattan federal jury ordered art publisher Michael McKenzie to pay $102.2 million in damages to the Morgan Art Foundation for producing unauthorized works by Robert Indiana.

Behind every great artist... there is a great gallery. A look at the 2026 Venice Biennale

Dietro ogni grande artista… c’è una grande galleria. Un punto sulla Biennale Arte 2026

The 61st Venice Biennale, titled "In Minor Keys" (May 9 – November 22, 2026), features over 90% living artists, a significant shift from recent editions focused on historical rediscoveries. Curated by the late Koyo Kouoh (1967–2025), the first African woman to lead the Biennale, the exhibition includes 111 artists, with a majority of women (64 vs. 48 men) and the highest percentage of African-born artists ever (20%). Notable participants include Nick Cave, Carsten Höller, Alfredo Jaar, and Kader Attia, with a focus on mid-career and established figures rather than emerging or deceased artists.

La grande fiera TEFAF si tiene a New York da 10 anni. Come sarà l’edizione 2026?

TEFAF New York returns to the Park Avenue Armory from May 15–19, 2026 (with a collector preview on May 14), marking the fair's tenth anniversary. The 2026 edition will host 88 top international galleries from 15 countries across four continents, offering museum-quality selections of modern and contemporary art, jewelry, antiques, and design. Highlights include Andy Warhol's Mao (1973) at ML Fine Art, Cecily Brown's Functor Hideaway (2008) at Berggruen Gallery, and a 2026 work by Minjung Kim at Voena. The fair also extends into the Armory's historic period rooms, and the TEFAF Museum Restoration Fund will support the conservation of a Medici tapestry owned by the Minneapolis Institute of Art.

Why our country needs the artist Lubaina Himid right now: "I had to figure out how to represent Britain"

Lubaina Himid has been selected to represent Great Britain at the Venice Biennale, taking over the British Pavilion. The announcement came just before Christmas 2024, shortly before the opening of her first solo exhibition in China at the UCCA Center for Contemporary Art in Beijing, which features major works including 'Naming the Money' (2004). Himid, who was born in Zanzibar and raised in London, is a Turner Prize-winning artist known for centering Black narratives and marginalized histories through theatrical, life-size cut-out figures.

Australian artist Khaled Sabsabi reveals details of presentations in the Australia Pavilion and in the International Exhibition In Minor Keys at Biennale Arte 2026 – News Hub

Australian artist Khaled Sabsabi will present two major installations at the 2026 Venice Biennale. At the Australia Pavilion, he unveils "conference of one’s self," an immersive multisensory work featuring eight monumental canvas paintings, video projections, and a soundscape inspired by a 12th-century Sufi allegory. Simultaneously, he becomes the first Australian artist to also exhibit in the International Exhibition, titled "In Minor Keys" curated by Koyo Kouoh, with a second installation called "khalil" at the Arsenale. Both works explore spirituality, migration, and shared humanity through a framework of Sufi thought.

Khaled Sabsabi Unveils Biennale Arte 2026 Showcase

Khaled Sabsabi will represent Australia at the 61st Venice Biennale in 2026 with two major installations. At the Australia Pavilion, he presents "conference of one's self," an immersive multisensory installation featuring eight monumental canvas paintings, suspended video projectors, and an analogue soundscape, all inspired by the 12th-century Sufi allegory "The Conference of the Birds." In a historic first for an Australian artist, Sabsabi also debuts a second work, "khalil," in the Biennale's main exhibition "In Minor Keys" curated by Koyo Kouoh at the Arsenale. Both works explore spirituality, migration, and shared humanity through a Sufi philosophical framework.

The Kyrgyzstan Pavilion at the Venice Biennale Builds a Bridge Between Two Cultures

Il Padiglione del Kirghizistan alla Biennale di Venezia getta un ponte tra due culture

Alexey Morosov presents "BELEK" at the Kyrgyzstan Pavilion of the 61st Venice Biennale, a project inspired by the mountainous landscapes, glaciers, and brutalist dams of Kyrgyzstan. Combining video, sculpture, painting, and sound, Morosov explores water as a key resource for the future and a deep cultural memory of Central Asia, linking the region's hydro-engineering transformations with the nomadic heritage of the Kyrgyz people. The project centers on the traditional equestrian game Kok-Börü, which Morosov describes as constitutive of Kyrgyz identity, and features centaur-like figures made from raw earth used in local dwellings.

In Minor Keys: how Venice's international exhibition was brought to life after the death of artistic director Koyo Kouoh

The 61st Venice Biennale's international exhibition, titled "In Minor Keys," was realized after the sudden death of its artistic director, Koyo Kouoh, in May 2025. A team of five of Kouoh's collaborators, known as "la squadra di Koyo Kouoh," worked with her before her death and finalized the exhibition's themes, artist list, and scenography. The exhibition features 111 invited artists, duos, collectives, and artist-led organizations, with the team emphasizing that this remains Kouoh's vision rather than a replacement.

Russian art today is blood. A tough interview with Pussy Riot

“L’arte russa oggi è il sangue”. Una dura intervista alle Pussy Riot

During the preview of the 2026 Venice Biennale, the Russian Pavilion became the site of a protest by Pussy Riot and FEMEN, who staged an action called "STORM OF VENICE." Wearing pink balaclavas and carrying radical slogans, they denounced Russia's presence at the Biennale, accusing the Kremlin and the European cultural system of complicity. The protest centered on the phrase "Blood is Russia's art." In an interview, Pussy Riot member Nadya Tolokonnikova argues that artists who represent the official Russian Pavilion become instruments of the aggressive imperial state, and that the Biennale confuses cultural dialogue with political normalization.

Is there really an energy transformation in Marina Abramović's exhibition in Venice?

Nella mostra di Marina Abramović a Venezia c’è davvero una trasformazione di energia?

At the Gallerie dell'Accademia in Venice, Marina Abramović's exhibition "Transforming Energy" opens to the public from May 9 to September 30, 2026, as part of the 2026 Venice Biennale. The show is designed as an experiential device that moves beyond traditional exhibition formats, inviting viewers to determine their own presence through a sequence of rooms built around relationships between body, materials, and time. Crystals and locks of hair function not as decoration but as presences to be inhabited, demanding radical attention rather than spectacular participation. During the press conference, Abramović and curator Shai Baitel insisted that the materials, especially the crystals, possess real energy capable of directly affecting the viewer's body and perception, not merely as metaphor but as an active condition.

The best and worst we saw at the Venice Art Biennale 2026. Artribune's hits and flops

Il meglio e il peggio che abbiamo visto alla Biennale d’Arte di Venezia 2026. Top e flop di Artribune

The 61st Venice Biennale, titled "In Minor Keys" and directed by Koyo Kouoh, opened amid significant turmoil: the death of a newly appointed curator, diplomatic tensions over the presence of Russia and Israel, political protests, and the unprecedented collective resignation of the jury, which led to the Golden Lions being awarded by public vote for the first time. Despite this chaotic backdrop, the exhibition—featuring a record 100 national pavilions—has been widely praised for avoiding moralistic pedagogy and instead embracing visual seduction, formal quality, and sensory joy while addressing themes of identity, memory, colonialism, ecological crisis, and violence. The article highlights top and flop moments from the opening week, including strong showings by Biennale president Pietrangelo Buttafuoco and a standout exhibition at Fondazione Prada.

Interview with the artist of the enchanting New Zealand Pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale

Intervista all’artista dell’ammaliante Padiglione Nuova Zelanda alla Biennale Arte 2026

Fiona Pardington, a Māori artist from Devonport (1961), will represent New Zealand at the 2026 Venice Biennale with a deeply spiritual and ecologically conscious installation in the national pavilion. Her project centers on the takahe, a bird long thought extinct, using photography, sound, and immersive space to evoke loss, memory, and transformation. Pardington’s work draws on Ngāi Tahu culture, colonial history, and natural history, featuring a taxidermied takahe specimen from the British Museum that she re-photographed and chromatically restored.

With an exhibition in Venice, the great artist Joseph Kosuth demonstrates his trust in language

Con una mostra di Venezia il grande artista Joseph Kosuth dimostra la sua fiducia nel linguaggio

Joseph Kosuth, a pioneer of conceptual art, presents a new exhibition titled "The Exchange Value of Language Has Fallen to Zero" at Casa dei Tre Oci in Venice. The show features both historical works from the 1960s, such as "One and Three Mirrors" (1965), and a new neon piece "A Chain of Resemblance" created for the occasion, which pays homage to Michel Foucault. The exhibition explores themes of language, authorship, and community, including works like "The Fifth Investigation" (1969) and a poster from the 1976 Venice Biennale. Kosuth, who lived in Venice from 2021 to 2025, has a deep connection to the city, having participated in eight editions of the Venice Biennale and maintaining two permanent installations there.

Taiwan Presents “Screen Melancholy: Li Yi-Fan” at the Venice Biennale

The Taipei Fine Arts Museum (TFAM) presents the collateral event "Screen Melancholy: Li Yi-Fan" at the 61st Venice Biennale, held at the Palazzo delle Prigioni from May 9 to November 22, 2026. The exhibition features a new video installation and mixed-media work by Taiwanese artist Li Yi-Fan, curated by Raphael Fonseca, curator of visual arts at Culturgest in Lisbon and Porto. The installation integrates large-scale sculptural fragments with video and sound, exploring how screens mediate perception and emotional experience, in dialogue with the Biennale's theme "In Minor Keys."

Li Yi-Fan “Screen Melancholy” at Palazzo delle Prigioni, Venice

The Taipei Fine Arts Museum of Taiwan is presenting a collateral event titled "Screen Melancholy" by Taiwanese artist Li Yi-Fan at the 61st Venice Biennale. The exhibition will take place at the Palazzo delle Prigioni from May 9 to November 22, 2026, featuring a new work by the artist.

In an age of distraction, Marina Abramovic draws audiences into art

Marina Abramović, the pioneering performance artist who turns 80 this year, is the subject of a major exhibition at the Gallerie dell’Accademia in Venice, running through October. The show, titled "Transforming Energy," features interactive "transitory objects" such as crystal structures and minerals, a re-enactment of one of her best-known performances, and a depiction of her work "Pieta" staged with her late partner Ulay alongside Titian’s masterpiece. Abramović became the first living woman to be honored with a major exhibition at the museum, and she previously won the top prize at the 1997 Venice Biennale. In an interview, she discusses her shift from painting to performance, her evolving relationship with the audience, and the challenge of holding attention in an age of distraction.

Biennale Arte 2026: which national pavilions strike us and why

The 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, titled "In Minor Keys" and curated by Koyo Kouoh (who passed away in May 2025), opened amid intense controversy over its artist list and geopolitical tensions. Protests erupted against the participation of Israel and Russia, with a petition signed by 22 countries to exclude Russia, threats from the European Commission to suspend funding, and the resignation of the international jury. Around 18 national pavilions staged strikes and partial closures to denounce the normalization of Israel's presence and precarious labor in the art world. The Austria Pavilion's performance by Florentina Holzinger, featuring a girl hanging upside down inside a tilting bell, became a viral symbol refocusing attention on art itself.

Art Biennale: artists reject the popular jury

Fifty-two artists and curators, along with sixteen National Participants of the 61st Venice Art Biennale, have withdrawn from the newly introduced 'Lions of the Visitors' (People's Prizes) competition. The boycott follows the resignation of the jury appointed by artistic director Koyo Kouoh, who died in 2025, and is a protest against the inclusion of Russia and Israel in the prize—countries initially excluded by the international jury. The controversy escalated after Italian Minister of Culture Alessandro Giuli publicly opposed the Biennale president Pietrangelo Buttafuoco's decision to allow Russia's participation, drawing in the European Commission and even Ursula von der Leyen, who warned of potential sanctions violations. The signatories include artists and curators from France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Turkey, Switzerland, Spain, the Netherlands, and several other nations.

Amplifying Indigenous Voices with Phil Cash Cash and the Portland Art Museum

The Portland Art Museum is launching a program to bring on a team of Native American co-curators to revitalize its Native American art collection, led by curator Kathleen Ash-Milby. The museum has partnered with multi-disciplinary artist and scholar Phil Cash Cash, a member of the Nez Perce and Cayuse tribes, who will contribute Indigenous perspectives to the collection's evolution. Cash Cash, who holds a PhD in Anthropology and Linguistics and co-founded the Crow's Shadow Institute of the Arts, gave a talk to the museum's Native American Art Council in early 2026, marking a new collaborative phase.

Marina Abramović: Historic dell'Accademia Exhibition Announced During Venice Biennale 2026

Marina Abramović will be honored with a major exhibition at the Gallerie dell’Accademia in Venice during the 61st Venice Biennale Arte in 2026, making her the first living woman artist to receive such a show at this historic institution. The exhibition coincides with her eightieth birthday and features works including the 1983 photograph *Pietà (with Ulay)*, placed in dialogue with Titian’s *Pietà*, alongside participatory elements like her Transitory Objects. Curated by Shai Baitel, the show unfolds within the museum’s Renaissance galleries rather than a separate wing.

THE VENICE BIENNALE IN AN EDITION MARKED BY POLITICAL GAMES

The Venice Biennale's 2024 edition is embroiled in political controversy surrounding its national pavilions, particularly those of Russia, South Africa, and Israel. The Russian pavilion's readmission amid the war in Ukraine drew sharp criticism from the artistic community and led the European Union to withdraw approximately two million euros in funding. The Israeli pavilion, which remained empty in 2024 to protest hostage situations, now features a proposal by sculptor Belu-Simion Fainaru, prompting protests from the Art Not Genocide Alliance and over 200 artists demanding its exclusion. The curatorial team, appointed by the late curator Koyo Kouoh, resigned collectively nine days before the opening, and the Biennale's directorship canceled the opening ceremony, postponing awards to November. Demonstrations led by Art Not Genocide Alliance, Pussy Riot, and FEMEN surrounded the Russian pavilion during the press opening, and a strike by cultural workers is planned for May 8th.

Finally, Culture Minister Giuli visited the Italy Pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale and made peace with President Buttafuoco

Finalmente il Ministro della Cultura Giuli ha visitato il Padiglione Italia alla Biennale di Venezia 2026 e ha fatto pace con il Presidente Buttafuoco

Italian Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli finally visited the Italy Pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale alongside Biennale President Pietrangelo Buttafuoco, marking their first public appearance together after earlier tensions led Giuli to skip the opening ceremony. During the visit, Buttafuoco proposed that the work of artist Chiara Camoni, whose exhibition "Con te con tutto" is curated by Cecilia Canziani, should find a permanent home after the Biennale ends, sparking discussion about the future of pavilion artworks.

Al Padiglione del Giappone della Biennale di Venezia vi affidano una bambola da accudire

The Japan Pavilion at the Venice Art Biennale 2026 features an immersive, interactive exhibition titled "Grass Babies, Moon Babies" by Japanese-American artist Ei Arakawa-Nash. Visitors are invited to care for one of 200 dolls, each with a QR code that provides a "diaper poem" linked to the doll's symbolic birth date—reflecting the artist's personal experience of becoming a father in 2024 and broader social dynamics in Japan. The pavilion, curated by Lisa Horikawa and Mizuki Takahashi, evolves over the seven months of the Biennale as a platform for shared care and participation.

The Ireland Pavilion at the 2026 Venice Art Biennale Speaks of Dreams and Pays Homage to Aldo Manuzio

Il Padiglione Irlanda alla Biennale Arte 2026 di Venezia parla di sogni e omaggia Aldo Manuzio

The Ireland Pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale will present "Dreamshook," a project by Irish artist Isabel Nolan. The exhibition explores dream states and pays homage to the Venetian printer Aldo Manuzio, drawing on the humanist revolution between the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Nolan, who works across sculpture, embroidery, photography, and text, will create new tapestries, drawings, and sculptures that engage with classicism, Christianity, humanism, Irish heritage (including the Book of Kells), and the invention of printing. The project is curated by Georgina Jackson and produced by Cian O'Brien, with support from Culture Ireland and the Arts Council.

Nel Padiglione Germania alla Biennale di Venezia un gruppo di donne riflette sulle rovine del passato per capire il mondo

The German Pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale will present the work of two women artists, Henrike Naumann and Sung Tieu, following the death of Naumann at age 41 in February 2026. Curated by Kathleen Reinhardt, director of the Georg Kolbe Museum in Berlin, the pavilion's project, titled "Ruin," explores the dual meanings of the word in English and German—architectural decay versus economic, social, or moral collapse. The exhibition draws on research into East Germany (DDR) and the post-reunification period, using the pavilion's fascist architecture as a lens to examine historical ruptures and their impact on the present. For the first time in its history, the German Pavilion is represented solely by women, mirroring the Italian Pavilion.

The National Gallery of Canada, commissioner of Canada's participation in the 61st International Art Exhibition - La Biennale di Venezia, unveils the exhibition Abbas Akhavan: Entre chien et loup

The National Gallery of Canada has unveiled the exhibition "Abbas Akhavan: Entre chien et loup" for the Canada Pavilion at the 61st International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia in 2026. The site-specific installation reimagines the pavilion's architecture as a Wardian case, a precursor to the terrarium used to transport plants across the British Empire, featuring a custom pool with giant Victoria water lilies. The artist replaced the facade with glass panels, making the plants visible from outside, and the installation is framed by additional sculptural works. The exhibition is curated by Kim Nguyen and accompanied by a fully illustrated publication.

Venice Biennale strike sees more than 15 pavilions temporarily or partially close

On 8 May, more than 15 national pavilions at the Venice Biennale temporarily or partially closed in a coordinated strike organized by the Art Not Genocide Alliance (ANGA). The protest opposes Israel’s participation in the event, which organizers say normalizes what they call genocide and exploits precarious labor. Participating countries include Austria, Lebanon, Slovenia, Egypt, Poland, and the Netherlands, whose artist Dries Verhoeven stood outside his shuttered pavilion with a Palestinian flag. Some pavilions, like Japan’s, remained open but suspended interactive elements. The strike follows earlier controversies, including the resignation of the prize jury and an open letter demanding the Israeli pavilion’s cancellation.

Fondazione Bvlgari Bets on the Venice Biennale: Beyond the Pavilion in the Giardini, an Exhibition at the Biblioteca Marciana

Fondazione Bvlgari scommette sulla Biennale di Venezia: oltre al padiglione ai Giardini, una mostra alla Biblioteca Marciana

Fondazione Bvlgari is making its debut at the Venice Biennale with a collateral exhibition at the Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana, featuring site-specific works by Monia Ben Hamouda and Lara Favaretto. The show runs from May 9 to November 22, 2025, alongside the 61st International Art Exhibition. Ben Hamouda presents 'Fragments of Fire Worship,' neon sculptures in the Vestibule that explore language and cultural heritage, while Favaretto installs the final edition of 'Momentary Monument – The Library' in the Salone Sansovino, inviting public consultation of donated books. Additionally, Bvlgari has a pavilion in the Giardini featuring Canadian artist Lotus L. Kang, as part of a three-edition partnership with the Biennale through 2030.

Gabrielle Goliath Sounds a Call to Action in Venice

Gabrielle Goliath’s exhibition "Elegy" is presented as South Africa’s unofficial pavilion at the 61st Venice Biennale, after the country’s Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie overrode an independent committee’s selection of Goliath, citing her proposed inclusion of a memorial for Palestinians killed in Gaza. The installation features three video works in which singers sound a single note in tribute to victims of violence: a South African femicide victim, two women killed in Germany’s colonial genocide in Namibia, and Palestinian poet Heba Abunada. The show occupies the Chiesa di Sant'Antonin in Venice, curated with Ingrid Masondo, after a legal challenge against McKenzie was dismissed.

The 10 best pavilions to see at the 2026 Venice Art Biennale. Artribune's top ten

I 10 migliori padiglioni da vedere alla Biennale d’Arte di Venezia 2026. La top ten di Artribune

Artribune presents its top ten must-see national pavilions at the 2026 Venice Biennale, which features a record 100 participating countries. The article highlights standout projects including Greece's escape room by Andreas Angelidakis critiquing nationalist populism, Belgium's participatory dance installation by Miet Warloop, and Canada's greenhouse-like pavilion by Abbas Akhavan exploring colonial botany. The Biennale, curated by Koyo Kouoh under the theme "In Minor Keys," is marked by last-minute jury resignations leading to public voting for the Golden Lions, as well as protests over the participation of Russia and Israel.