Venice Biennale opens with 111 artists

La Biennale di Venezia opened the 61st International Art Exhibition, “In Minor Keys,” on May 9, with the show running through November 22 at the Giardini, the Arsenale and other sites across Venice. The exhibition was conceived by the late curator Koyo Kouoh, whose title and framework were retained after her death in May 2025, according to Biennale materials. Official Biennale pages describe the main exhibition as featuring 110 invited participants, while several art publications and guides reported 111 artists in the show. (labiennale.org) The result is a Biennale that is both a central curated exhibition and a citywide network of national pavilions and collateral events. (artnews.com) Organizers and art publications say the 2026 edition includes 100 national participations and 31 collateral events, with several first-time countries joining this year’s program. ### Why are some reports saying 110 participants and others 111 artists? The Biennale’s official invited-artists page says “In Minor Keys” features 110 invited participants, including individual artists, duos, collectives and artist-led organizations. (labiennale.org) Artsy, ARTnews, Artnet and other art outlets reported 111 artists when the list was announced in February. The difference appears to come from how participants are counted, with the official Biennale language using “participants” rather than only individual artists. Artsy reported that the 111 total included 105 individual artists and six artist-led organizations. (artnews.com) That accounting helps explain why different summaries of the exhibition use slightly different totals while referring to the same main show. ### What exactly is “In Minor Keys”? The official Biennale description says “In Minor Keys” is the title chosen by Kouoh for the 61st International Art Exhibition and that the show opened on May 9. Art publications describing the project after the February artist announcement said Kouoh’s exhibition would proceed according to plans developed before her death. (labiennale.org) Observer quoted curatorial team member Rory Tsapayi as saying the artists are “channels to the minor keys,” describing the exhibition as a collective score. That language has been used in coverage to frame the show as one built around mood, relation and form rather than a single geopolitical thesis. (artsy.net) ### How big is the Venice Biennale beyond the main exhibition? ARTnews reported in March that the 2026 Biennale includes 100 official pavilions and 31 collateral events. Illustrarch and other guides said seven countries are participating for the first time in this edition. (labiennale.org) Venice Insider Guide said the 100 national pavilions are spread across the Giardini, the Arsenale and sites in Venice’s historic center. That structure is standard for the Biennale but also means the headline count of artists in the central exhibition is only one part of the event’s scale. (observer.com) ### Which details are drawing the most attention on the ground? The Guardian’s coverage singled out Austria’s pavilion by Florentina Holzinger as one of the most discussed national presentations, describing performances involving naked jet-skiers and other provocative staging. (artnews.com) Taiwan News separately highlighted Li Yi-fan’s Taiwan Pavilion as an examination of digital anxiety. Those examples show how coverage of the Biennale is splitting between the official main exhibition and country pavilions that often generate their own audiences, reviews and controversy. (veniceinsiderguide.com) That reading is an inference from the distribution of current coverage. ### What happens next for visitors and the art world? The official Biennale schedule says “In Minor Keys” runs until November 22. The pre-opening took place on May 6, 7 and 8, and the exhibition is now in its public run across Venice. (illustrarch.com) Through that closing date, visitors can see the main exhibition, the 100 national pavilions and the 31 collateral events listed for the 2026 edition. The Biennale’s official pages and participating-pavilion guides remain the main references for the evolving public program. (artnews.com) (labiennale.org) (illustrarch.com)