Venice, Here We Come
Hyperallergic editor-in-chief Hakim Bishara previews the 61st Venice Biennale in 2026, describing it as likely to be a politically charged edition and noting uncertainty about whether protests will overshadow national pavilions. The main exhibition, titled “In Minor Keys,” was conceived by the late Koyo Kouoh, and Hyperallergic plans on-the-ground coverage in Venice by editor-at-large Hrag Vartanian and colleagues, alongside a free online conversation with artist Jeremy Frey on April 29 (3–4pm ET) for Hyperallergic members. The roundup also highlights additional features, including a studio visit with painter Joan Semmel at age 93 and coverage of Lebanese artist Tania El Khoury. In its news digest, Hyperallergic notes Barbara Chase-Riboud’s decision not to represent the US at the 61st Venice Biennale, a $116 million gift to the National Gallery of Art to endow a new artwork lending program, and the death of Argentine abstract painter Ides Kihlen at 108.
From This Briefing
This story was covered in A.I. Anxiety and the Gallery Goodbye Tour