Venice Biennale 2026: "In Minor Keys", the edition that whispers in a world that screams

Venice, May 2026. The lagoon city transforms once again into the world capital of contemporary art. The 61st International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale, entitled In Minor Keys, opened its doors on 9 May 2026 and will remain open until 22 November, across the Giardini, the Arsenale and several other iconic venues throughout the city. But this edition is singular in more ways than one. It is carried by the grief of a lost vision, traversed by unprecedented geopolitical tensions, and haunted by a question as simple as it is urgent: what can art still do, when the world seems to overflow with noise?

A curator who passed, a vision preserved

To understand this Biennale, one must first understand who was its guardian — and what it took to carry it through without her.

Koyo Kouoh had been appointed artistic director of the 61st Biennale in November 2024. She was the second Black curator in the history of the Biennale, after the Nigerian-American Okwui Enwezor in 2015. She defined the theoretical framework, selected artists and works, and conceived the architecture of the exhibition — before passing away prematurely in May 2025.

The Biennale decided to carry out the exhibition following the path already traced by Kouoh, with the full support of her family, in order to preserve and share her vision. The curatorial work had crystallised notably during a gathering in Dakar in April 2025, at the RAW Material Company centre she had founded — a method rooted in human relationships that nourished an "intense collective dynamic".

The title In Minor Keys is both a musical and political metaphor. Kouoh described it as "an invocation to slow down and tune into minor frequencies", believing that we are "submerged by the anxiety-inducing cacophony of chaos". In a world saturated with grand narratives, armed conflicts and permanent urgencies, she proposed something else entirely: listening to what is discreet, minor, quietly resistant.

Koyo Kouoh appointed curator of the upcoming Venice Biennale 2026.

111 artists, a worldwide polyphony

The international selection brings together 111 artists, duos, collectives and organisations — including no Italian artists, a remarkable fact for an exhibition held in Italy. Among them: American musician and performer Laurie Anderson, Franco-Algerian artist Kader Attia, Nigerian visual artist Otobong Nkanga, and Kenyan sculptor Wangechi Mutu.

Seven countries are participating in the Biennale for the first time, including Guinea, Qatar and Somalia, while El Salvador inaugurates its national pavilion. All participate in this polyphony, where differences produce "minor frequencies" rather than a single narrative.

This choice of 111 artists from deliberately broadened geographical and cultural horizons is not incidental. It extends the trajectory initiated by recent editions of the Biennale — Adriano Pedrosa's 2024 edition, centred on margins and peripheries — and deepens it: here, it is not merely under-represented scenes that step into the Giardini, but an entire model of engaging with the world.

The French Pavilion: Yto Barrada and "Comme Saturne"

Among the national pavilions not to be missed, the French Pavilion marks a notable return. Closed for a year for renovation works, the French Pavilion reopens its doors to present artist Yto Barrada's project Comme Saturne, within a renovated space offering considerable functional and energy improvements.

Yto Barrada — born in Paris, raised in Tangier — is one of the most singular figures on the international contemporary scene. Her work blends photography, sculpture, archive and fiction to interrogate official narratives, erased histories and geographies of forgetting. Comme Saturne promises to be a work of rare density, in perfect resonance with the theme of the edition: a practice that listens to what official history prefers to silence.

Yto Barrada, "Thrill, Fill and Spill", 2025 - South London Gallery

The unmissable exhibitions beyond the national pavilions

The Venice Biennale is not merely a fair of national pavilions. It transforms the entire city into a territory of experiences — and 2026 is no exception.

Marina Abramović at the Gallerie dell'Accademia. The Serbian performer celebrates her eightieth birthday with a major retrospective entitled Transformer l'énergie (Transforming Energy), establishing a dialogue between her historical works and Renaissance pieces held in the Venetian museum. The centrepiece juxtaposes two Pietàs: one by Titian (1576–1577) and another by Abramović and Ulay (1983). A face-to-face across the centuries that promises to be one of the defining moments of the season.

Jan Fabre at the Scuola Grande di San Rocco. Jan Fabre is the first living artist invited to inhabit one of Venice's most iconic art spaces — the Scuola Grande di San Rocco, which houses Tintoretto's monumental cycle of paintings. The exhibition The Quiet Source proposes an introspective dialogue between the great Renaissance master and contemporary sculpture.

Michael Armitage at the Pinault Collection. The Pinault Collection has chosen to dedicate the Palazzo Grassi to Kenyan painter Michael Armitage — one of the most powerful voices in contemporary African figurative painting — in a major monographic exhibition that stands as one of the unmissable events of the season. Essential viewing for anyone tracking the rise of the African art scene on the international market.

Georg Baselitz at the Fondazione Giorgio Cini. The German painter and sculptor Georg Baselitz — an iconic figure of the art of recent decades, known for his upside-down figures — was presenting his exhibition Eroi d'Oro at the Cini Foundation. This would remain his final work: Baselitz passed away on 30 April 2026, at the age of 88, just days before the opening. This exhibition has thus taken on a deeply poignant, testamentary dimension.

The controversy: when geopolitics invades the Giardini

No Biennale is ever apolitical — and the 2026 edition is no exception. It opens in a climate of exceptional tension.

The Biennale's international jury resigned en bloc amid controversy over the participation of Russia and Israel. The decision came after Italian authorities required the two countries to be reinstated in the prize competition, triggering an institutional deadlock and threats of legal action. With no jury in place, the Golden Lions will be awarded by the public at the close of the event.

More than 70 artists and curators had signed a petition demanding the total exclusion of these countries. The Biennale had decided to exclude Russia and Israel from competition for the Golden Lions — countries whose leaders face proceedings at the International Criminal Court being barred from competing — but both pavilions remain authorised to exhibit.

The European Union withdrew a two-million-euro subsidy from the Biennale in response to Russia's return. Protests have been taking place daily in the Giardini and at the Arsenale since the opening.

There is a tragic irony in this situation: a Biennale conceived as an invitation to silence and listening opens in an unprecedented institutional and political uproar. Kouoh wanted to steer the event away from the world's cacophony. The world, instead, has walked right in.

What the 2026 Biennale tells us about the art market

For a collector or art market professional, the Biennale is never merely a cultural event. It is also a barometer — a moment when the deep trends of the market manifest with particular clarity.

This edition sends several strong signals.

Africa is durably taking centre stage. Michael Armitage at the Palazzo Grassi, the selection of African artists in the main exhibition, Kouoh's curatorial vision itself — everything confirms that the rise of the African art scene is not a passing trend, but a structural recomposition of the market. African artists now account for approximately 15% of global contemporary art transactions, and this Biennale represents the highest institutional confirmation of that shift.

Michael Armitage, “The Promise of change”, 2026 - Palazzo Grassi

Figurative painting remains dominant. Armitage, Baselitz, the many painters in the main selection — the 2026 Biennale confirms the powerful return of painting as the reference medium, after years of dominance by conceptual art and installation.

New geographical scenes are opening up. Seven countries are participating for the first time. This is a signal for attentive collectors: the emerging scenes of Guinea, Qatar and Somalia are structuring their international presence. These are exactly the territories to watch for anyone seeking to anticipate the next waves of the market.

To follow these dynamics and understand how artists presented at Venice translate in terms of market valuation, LLB Auction offers a valuable window onto secondary market results — allowing you to cross-reference the institutional signals of the Biennale with concrete market data. And to discover contemporary artists whose trajectories align with these major trends, Lynart Gallery offers a selection built on that same logic of informed anticipation.

Practical information

Dates: 9 May – 22 November 2026

Main venues: Giardini, Arsenale, Forte Marghera

Curator: Koyo Kouoh (posthumously), with the support of Gabe Beckhurst Feijoo, Marie Hélène Pereira, Rasha Salti, Siddhartha Mitter and Rory Tsapayi

Title: In Minor Keys

Number of artists: 111 artists, duos, collectives and organisations

First-time participants: Guinea, Qatar, Somalia, El Salvador

Conclusion: listening to the minor keys

There is something deeply right about Koyo Kouoh's choice to call this Biennale In Minor Keys. In a world saturated with grand narratives, absolute urgencies and permanent noise, proposing to listen to what is minor, discreet, lateral — that may be the most radical act of resistance there is.

This edition, carried by grief and traversed by controversy, may say more about the state of the world than any manifesto could. Art has this rare capacity: to name what politics does not yet know how to articulate.

For those who wish to extend this experience beyond Venice — discovering emerging artists whose universes resonate with the great questions raised by this Biennale — Lynart Gallery accompanies collectors in this exploration with the same exacting regard.

And for those who wish to understand how the artists revealed at Venice translate in terms of market valuation, LLB Auction remains the indispensable reference point.

Venice whispers. Now is the right time to listen.

FAQ — Venice Biennale 2026

What is the Venice Biennale? Founded in 1895, the Venice Biennale is the oldest and one of the most prestigious contemporary art exhibitions in the world. Held every two years, it brings together national pavilions in the Giardini, the Arsenale and various venues across Venice, awarding the Golden Lion as its highest prize.

What is the theme of the 2026 Biennale? The theme is In Minor Keys — an invitation to "slow down and tune into minor frequencies", conceived by curator Koyo Kouoh as a response to the "anxiety-inducing cacophony of chaos" of the contemporary world.

Who was Koyo Kouoh? Koyo Kouoh was the director of the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa in Cape Town, and the second Black curator in the history of the Biennale. Appointed artistic director in November 2024, she passed away prematurely in May 2025, but her project was entirely preserved and carried out by the team she had assembled.

Why is the 2026 Biennale so controversial? The international jury resigned en bloc amid controversy over the participation of Russia and Israel. With no jury in place, the Golden Lions will be awarded by the public at the close of the event. Protests have been taking place regularly in the Giardini and at the Arsenale since the opening.

Which exhibitions are unmissable? Marina Abramović's retrospective at the Gallerie dell'Accademia, Jan Fabre at the Scuola Grande di San Rocco, Michael Armitage at the Palazzo Grassi for the Pinault Collection, and Yto Barrada's Comme Saturne at the French Pavilion — all on view until 22 November 2026.

What is the link between the Biennale and the art market? The Biennale is a market barometer: the artists it consecrates often see their value rise in the months that follow. LLB Auction allows you to track these valuation dynamics in real time, while Lynart Gallery offers a selection of artists whose trajectories align with the major trends revealed by this edition.