Marina Abramović will have a historic solo exhibition at Venice’s Galleria dell’Accademia in May 2026, during the art biennale. Titled "Transforming Energy," the show first debuted at the Modern Art Museum (MAM) Shanghai in 2024 and is inspired by her 1988 walk across the Great Wall of China with former partner Ulay. Abramović becomes the first living female artist to exhibit solo at the Accademia in its 250-year history, following her 2023 milestone as the first woman with a solo show at London’s Royal Academy of Arts and her 1997 Golden Lion win at the Venice Biennale. Curated by MAM artistic director Shai Baitel in collaboration with the artist, the exhibition will feature historic performances such as Rhythm 0 (1974) and Imponderabilia (1997), alongside newer works incorporating precious stones and a photograph of Pietà (with Ulay) (1983) displayed alongside Titian’s Pietà.
This exhibition matters because it continues Abramović’s pattern of breaking gender barriers at major institutions, underscoring the ongoing push for recognition of female artists in historically male-dominated art spaces. By staging the show during the Venice Biennale—the world’s most prestigious contemporary art event—the Galleria dell’Accademia signals a shift toward inclusivity and dialogue between historical and contemporary art. The juxtaposition of Abramović’s performance-based works with Titian’s Renaissance masterpiece also highlights how living artists can engage with canonical art history, expanding the definition of what a museum exhibition can be.