Hyperallergic's Editor-in-Chief Hakim Bishara reviews the main exhibition of the 2026 Venice Biennale, titled "In Minor Keys," calling it a triumph for the historically dispossessed and overlooked. The posthumous exhibition, curated by the late Koyo Kouoh, features 111 international artists and is described as a hymn to those who carry both melancholy and joy. Separately, Aruna d'Souza interviews Lebanese-born, Sydney-based artist Khaled Sabsabi, who was initially chosen for the Australian Pavilion but temporarily removed due to pressure from pro-Israel groups before being reinstated and also invited by Kouoh to participate in the main exhibition. The article also includes brief news items about a Swann auction, a Louvre jewel heist film adaptation, and a study on art museums slowing aging.
The review matters because it positions "In Minor Keys" as the defining exhibition of a momentous biennale, centering voices of the oppressed and overlooked in a moment of cultural labor strikes and protest. The interview with Khaled Sabsabi highlights ongoing tensions around censorship, political pressure, and artistic freedom in the international art world, particularly regarding pro-Israel advocacy. The article also reflects Hyperallergic's editorial focus on art as a vehicle for social justice and collective becoming.