Venice verdicts: art world figures give their thoughts on the 2026 Biennale

In a round-up of reactions to the Venice Biennale and expectations for 2026, art-world figures described curator Koyo Kouoh’s exhibition “In Minor Keys” as politically urgent and unusually attentive to lesser-known artists and multi-generational narratives. Naomi Beckwith of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Foundation highlighted what she described as a salient survey of post-war African art with a focus on women artists, and said the show’s musical metaphor asked audiences to “look and listen” differently. Beatrix Ruf of the Hartwig Art Foundation said the Biennale felt “far more ‘major’ than minor,” noting how many national pavilions echoed the theme and emphasizing recurring motifs such as water, fluidity, and ephemerality. Ruf also cited a strong turn toward performance across pavilions, naming contributions including Florentina Holzinger for Austria and Miet Warlop for Belgium, as well as projects involving artists such as Tarek Atoui and Rirkrit Tiravanija.

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