The Venice Biennale’s international art exhibition is a surprising ensemble that encourages reflection on often overlooked elements.
Buhlebezwe Siwani’s sculpture is crafted from sustainable polyurethane and a soap commonly used by low-income families in South Africa, while Johannes Phokela’s “The Seven Virtues” (2024) features blue and white ceramic porcelain to depict African historical scenes. (all photos Hrag Vartanian/Hyperallergic)
The 61st Venice Biennale has been a stage for various protests, with artists participating in the exhibitions, crowds assembling at the temporary Israeli pavilion in the Arsenale, and Pussy Riot making their presence felt in front of the Russian pavilion in the Giardini. More protests are anticipated tomorrow, May 8, yet the main international exhibition continues to thrive.
Under the guidance of artistic director Koyo Kouoh, who passed away last May at 57, the exhibition In Minor Keys debuted today with a reflective press conference. Advisor Rasha Salti pointed out the unique nature of this Biennale, noting, “it is not only unusual because the artistic director is absent … it is a biennale where we are left searching for her presence.” Research Assistant Rory Tsapayi emphasized that the exhibition embodies Kouoh’s approach to curating through attentiveness to artists, describing this Biennale as focused on “attunement and attention.” The 110 artists involved have their works displayed in the Arsenale and Giardini, inviting attendees to explore new modes of representation, rethink how we measure the world, and contemplate often-neglected aspects.
Highlights include Wangechi Mutu’s installations in both venues and thoughtful curatorial pairings like Ebony G. Patterson’s intricate peacock alongside Kambui Olujimi’s North Star watercolors. The exhibition space is adorned with banners quoting influential writers and poets, such as Refaat al-Areer, Toni Morrison, and Ben Okri, enhancing the emotional impact of the artwork. Collectively, these elements create a surprising symphony.
A poem by Refaat al-Areer greets visitors at the entrance of In Minor Keys at the Arsenale.A sculpture by Nick Cave on display at the ArsenaleAnnalee Davis’s “Let This Be My Cathedral” (2026) consists of a wall-based herbarium sourced from plants from her home garden on a former plantation in Barbados. Designed as a haven, it imagines a space for introspection and considering the role of ethics in our botanical ecologies.Walid Raad’s “Postscript to the Arabic Edition” (1938–2025) imagines the impact of war on art objects and the lingering histories and connections that hide in plain sight.Visitors lounge to watch Nolan Oswald Dennis’s “Black Earth Calendar” (2023) at the Arsenale. The work uses the earth and elements as “co-conspirators” in re-imagining the world beyond established categories and taxonomies.Rajni Perera and Marigold Santos’s “Efforescence/The Way We Wake” (2023) features a riveting female humanoid that peers through a mask while her legs branch out and her body is placed in a fantastical position.Wangechi Mutu’s elegant bronze “Simbi Siren” (2026) reimagines the Garden of Eden using an eco-feminist, African diasporic lens. The figure lounges majestically on a metal box, as water trickles from the fingertips to the flowers below.Kenyan artist Kaloki Nyamai’s massive paintings “register after-effects” as the scenes teeter on the verge of abstraction.Uriel Orlow’s “Dedication II” (2021/26) focuses on the need for cross-species collaboration in these video haikus that suggest we listen far more closely than we already do.Nicholas Hlobo’s “Umrhubuluzi” (2010) is a humanoid figure sewn out of rubber, ribbon, and leather, and represents the artist’s interest in the multiple meanings of materials that speak to personal and social perspectives.Alfredo Jaar’s red installation compacts rare earth and minerals into a cubic form that we visit in an ethereal space, suggesting an otherness to the materials that help the daily function of contemporary life.
Buhlebezwe Siwani’s sculpture is crafted from sustainable polyurethane and a soap commonly used by low-income families in South Africa, while Johannes Phokela’s “The Seven Virtues” (2024) features blue and white ceramic porcelain to depict African historical scenes. (all photos Hrag Vartanian/Hyperallergic)
