Whitney Biennial Redefines American Art
The 2026 Whitney Biennial broadens its scope to include artists born in regions impacted by American imperialism, reframing the U.S. as a global map Whitney Biennial 2026 l Opening Film.
The 2026 Whitney Biennial includes 56 artists, duos, and collectives and opened March 8, 2026. The exhibition emphasizes the interconnectedness of various relationships, such as those between species, families, geopolitical entities, and technologies. The curators, Marcela Guerrero and Drew Sawyer, visited over 300 artist studios across the world to select the participants. The curators allowed the artists' concerns to guide them, rather than imposing a theme. Approximately 21 of the selected artists were born outside of the United States and Puerto Rico. Their birthplaces include Afghanistan, Cyprus, Iraq, Japan, Palestine, and Vietnam. The inclusion of these artists highlights the Biennial's reimagining of "American art". Several artists place Indigenous histories and relationships to land at the center of their work. For example, Teresa Baker, a Mandan and Hidatsa artist, creates tactile compositions that evoke the textures of terrain. The exhibition also includes well-known artists such as Andrea Fraser and Samia Halaby. The exhibition runs until August 23, 2026.
