May You Live in Less Interesting Times
Resignations at the Venice Biennale, the fall of the art school, Édouard Glissant’s art collection, Tania Bruguera on political art, and much more.
In 2019, Ralph Rugoff curated the 58th International Art Exhibition at the Venice Biennale under the title May You Live in Interesting Times.
Well, Ralph, you got what you wished for, and then some. Times are so "interesting" now that they've upended the next biennale before it’s even opened.
The latest development is the collective resignation of the show's international jury. The jurors haven't given an explicit reason for their decision, but indicated it had something to do with their recent announcement that countries accused of committing crimes against humanity (namely, Israel and Russia) will not be considered for awards. I expect more drama during the press preview next week. Our team will be reporting from the ground. Stay tuned, and if you're in Venice, come say hi.
One of our most-read pieces this week was Hakan Topal's essay about the financialization and “administrification” of art schools and American academia in general. Did you know that between 1976 and 2011, admin jobs at American universities grew by 369% while full-time tenured and tenure-track faculty grew by only 23%? It certainly hasn’t gotten better with time.
Enjoy other great reads below and have a lovely weekend.
—Hakim Bishara, editor-in-chief
The Death of the Art School
The rampant corporatization and “administrification” of American higher-education institutions has turned students into mere consumers. | Hakan Topal
Call for Applications: 2026 Craft Archive Fellowship
The Center for Craft will award up to four $5,000 fellowships to support research on underrepresented craft histories, culminating in an article on Hyperallergic.
Venice Biennale
- The Venice Biennale jury announced its collective resignation a week after its statement of intent to omit Russia and Israel from consideration.
- The American Arts Conservancy is fundraising for the United States Pavilion at the Venice Biennale via a “Support Our Mission” button on its website, Hyperallergic found, inviting anyone on the internet to donate a minimum of $100 toward the project.
- Russia’s return to the 61st Venice Biennale will employ several workarounds to comply with international sanctions, including making the nation’s pavilion accessible only during the vernissage dates to select guests and the press.
News
- Artist Xandra Ibarra’s nude performance at MFA Boston sparks conversations about consent, viewer etiquette, art history, and the human body.
- Banksy is back. See the artist’s new anti-imperialist monument in central London.
- Mexican cultural workers denounce a sculpture by Pedro Reyes at LACMA, saying the museum ignored the contentious history of a similar artwork rejected by Mexico City in 2021.
- The High Line’s new 27-foot-tall Buddha is a resurrection of a critical piece of destroyed cultural heritage — the Bamiyan Buddhas.
From Our Critics
Alice Tippit’s Mischievous Erotics
The artist’s mixed messages suggest a deep skepticism about the ability of language to adequately express human experience. | Lori Waxman
The Revolutionary Tapestry of Nigerian Modernism
The first show on the subject in the UK offers an ambitious, if uneven, look at how artists forged a postcolonial identity. | Aditya Iyer
Édouard Glissant’s Museum-as-Archipelago
An exhibition of his collection finds provisional alliances between artists, rather than reiterating established hierarchies. | John Yau
Comics
Lee ShinJa’s Handwoven Portals
The nonagenarian South Korean artist helped catapult fiber art from the realm of domestic craft and tradition into the experimental field of contemporary art. | Coco Picard
The International Center of Photography Presents Photobook Fest
This year’s fest will feature over 80 publishers with a full weekend of workshops, panels, and book signings. May 8–10 in Manhattan’s Lower East Side.
Features & Interviews
Tania Bruguera on Why Today’s Art Must Be Political
Ahead of her performance “Tatlin’s Whisper #6” in Times Square, the artist and activist talks to Hyperallergic about free speech in times of rising authoritarianism. | Valentina Di Liscia
DACA Artist Uses Thread to Weave Immigration Stories
Arleene Correa Valencia transforms bark paper and embroidery into a tender reckoning with the reality of being undocumented in the United States. | Eliana Perozo
Joe Macken Spent 22 Years Building a Miniature New York by Hand
“It’s a lifelong project,” he said about the 50-foot replica, now on view at the Museum of the City of New York. “I’ll never, ever, ever be finished with it.” | Monica Uszerowicz
A Refreshing Turn to Craft at AIPAD’s Photography Show
In a year of AI image corruption, this year’s fair, focused largely on Latin American and Latine artists, feels especially hopeful. | Isa Farfan
Member Comment
Jozanne Rabyor on Lisa Yin Zhang's “Required Reading”
Community
A View From the Easel: Hadieh Afshani
“A certain level of distraction can help me see the work more clearly.”
Remembering Raghu Rai, Jack Thornell, and Jarvis Rockwell
This week, we honor India’s most celebrated photojournalist, a Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer, and a multi-media artist.
Art Movements: Curators Named for El Museo’s Latine Art Survey
Biennale shake-ups, a new leadership model for Manifesta, and Marina Abramović, wine whisperer?
ICYMI
Our Guide to the Venice Biennale
Here’s what to see and do at this year’s edition, including national pavilions, collateral exhibitions, and notable events. | Hrag Vartanian
Opportunities This Month
Residencies, fellowships, grants, and open calls from the Bennett Prize, Oak Spring Garden Foundation, and more in our May 2026 list of opportunities for artists, writers, and art workers.
