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.
This article matters because it highlights how major international art events like the Venice Biennale have become arenas for political expression and censorship, particularly around the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The widespread presence of Gaza-related works—both inside and outside the official exhibition—demonstrates artists’ determination to bear witness to tragedy despite institutional and governmental pushback, raising urgent questions about artistic freedom, curatorial responsibility, and the role of art in documenting human rights crises.