Venice Biennale Jury Resigns
The exhibition’s international jury quits, Banksy strikes again, and a conversation with artist-activist Tania Bruguera.
Happy May Day! Today in the news: drama in Venice. The jury for the 61st Venice Biennale, which awards the top prizes, resigns en masse. Why? They didn't say, but the decision is likely related to their recent announcement that no awards will go to countries accused of committing crimes against humanity (i.e., Russia and Israel).
Meanwhile, Banksy strikes again. This time, it's a full-blown anti-imperialist statue in the heart of London. And here in New York, a new public artwork honors the city's first Arabic-speaking community.
There's more, including Senior Editor Valentina Di Liscia in conversation with Cuban artist and activist Tania Bruguera ahead of the restaging of her iconic free-speech performance, "Tatlin's Whisper #6," in Times Square later today.
—Hakim Bishara, editor-in-chief
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
Five Independent Souls: The Signers from New Jersey
This exhibition at Morven Museum & Garden in Princeton examines the lives of the Declaration’s signers, and those they enslaved, through over 100 historic artifacts.
News
- Banksy is back. See the artist's new anti-imperialist monument in central London.
- The Venice Biennale jury announces its collective resignation a week after its statement of intent to omit Russia and Israel from consideration.
- New York City unveils its very first commemorative public artwork in recognition of Manhattan’s first Arabic-speaking enclave, “Little Syria.”
- German artist Georg Baselitz, known for his emotionally charged paintings and distorted views about women artists, dies at 88.
Art Fairs
An Art Fair for the “Global Majority” Debuts in Brooklyn
Conductor Art fair at Powerhouse Arts seeks to represent the underrepresented, with some notable overlap with next week’s Venice Biennale. | Rhea Nayyar
VCUarts’ 2026 MFA Thesis Exhibition at the Institute for Contemporary Art
The two-part exhibition features the work of 28 MFA candidates across several disciplines in Fine Art and Design. Now on view in Richmond, Virginia.
Community
Required Reading
A day in the life of Peter Hujar, Mahmoud Khalil a year after detention, the madman theory of Trump, and more.
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?
Member Comment
Antonio C. Cuyler on Lisa Siraganian’s “Can an Artwork Have Personhood?"
From the Archive
The Cuban Artists Who Turned Havana’s May Day Parade Into a Protest
Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara and Raychel Carrión used state-orchestrated political theater as a backdrop for their critiques of institutional power and mindless consent. | Coco Fusco
