Venice Pavilions That Missed the Mark
What we didn’t like at the Biennale, artists pulled out of documenta 16 over Gaza, visitors arrested for hanging paintings by Mona Lisa, and more.
The Venice Biennale always opens with summer on the horizon and a sense of giddy anticipation in the air: a million pavilions to romp through and gossip about, affogatos over balmy sunsets, afterparties that’ll tide you into the next morning. But we’re officially in fall now, if the number of openings and fairs in my calendar is any indication, or the fact that I haven’t seen the sun in a week.
Accordingly, while we put out our sunny list of what we loved at the Venice Biennale a little while back, today, we present our slightly stormier list of what we didn’t quite love, put together by Editor-at-Large Hrag Vartanian and hard-hitting critic Aruna D’Souza.
But don’t worry, we’re not exclusively haters here. Artist, writer, and born-and-raised Brooklynite Danielle De Jesus paid a visit to Bushwick Open Studios this past weekend, and her report warmed my heart — like her, I was happy to see (and very surprised by) how many native New Yorkers are still making art in the city. (Even though this Queens kid is writing these words from Iowa …)
Also in today’s issue, a review of a retrospective on the grand dame of Fluxus, Alison Knowles; documenta director Naomi Beckwith states that artists pulled out of the exhibition due to Germany’s position on Gaza; and visitors are arrested for hanging paintings next to the Mona Lisa. And that’s only a brief selection, because didn’t you hear? It’s autumn in the art world, the busiest (and sometimes best) time of the year.
—Lisa Yin Zhang, associate editor
The Worst National Pavilions at the Venice Biennale
In the first part of this series, Editor-at-Large Hrag Vartanian and critic Aruna D’Souza discussed the pavilions they loved at the 61st Venice Biennale, running through November 22, and even made a provocative argument in favor of national pavilions. In this second and final installment, they take their gloves off to tear apart the pavilions they didn’t like and argue about the ones they’re split on. Brace yourself; it’s going to get heated. —Hakim Bishara, editor-in-chief | Hrag Vartanian and Aruna D’Souza
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Announcing the 2026 Rabkin Prize Winners
The Rabkin Foundation celebrates the creative and intellectual contributions of today’s art writers, with eight unrestricted awards of $50,000 each.
News
- Venezuelan artist Nelson Garrido, who made photography a practice of absolute freedom, dies days before his 74th birthday.
- French authorities apprehend two German men at the Louvre Museum after they affixed two paintings to a wall in the room housing Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa.”
- Documenta 16 artistic director Naomi Beckwith says that some artists declined to participate in the exhibition over “Germany’s position on the Gaza war” and concerns about artistic freedom in the country.
- Trump says he plans to turn use his controversial “Triumphal Arch” in Washington, DC, as a “military complex” for drones, snipers, and weaponry storage. The 250-foot arch, slated to be built between the Lincoln Memorial and the Arlington National Cemetery, will reportedly cost around $100 million. [NPR]
From Our Critics
The Book of Alison Knowles
A retrospective traces the language of bookmaking in her expansive work and its radical influence on American art. | Leah Triplett Harrington
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New Show at Pratt Manhattan Gallery Explores How Human Bodies Exist with Non-Human Objects
The internationally traveling exhibition shows the complexities and interconnectedness of these relationships. On view September 25 - December 19, 2026.
Features
In Chicago, Mexican-American Altars Reimagine Home
As ICE increasingly targets migrant neighborhoods, carefully crafted altars to La Virgen de Guadalupe outside homes transform sidewalks into sites of community and protection. | Crystal Vance Guerra
Read MoreA Bushwick Kid at Bushwick Open Studios
During my first visit to the annual event, I found towering paintings that explore our inner child, diasporic tributes to Filipina culture, and light-filled portraits of an artist’s trans community. | Danielle De Jesus
Read MoreCommunity
Beer With a Painter: Barbara Takenaga
The Japanese-American artist talks about her place as a paint dot in the universe and embracing disruption in her canvases. | Jennifer Samet
Read MoreHyper Links
- Roxane Gay shows Ed Sheeran how to grow a spine in a guest column in the New York Times.
- Watch the making of a “Pantheon Skirt” — yes, literally a skirt shaped like the Greek temple.
- After years of reporting on inequality in education, Nikole Hannah-Jones chose to send her daughter to the kind of school wealthier families typically avoid: low-income and mostly Black. Ten years later, she writes on her family’s experience for the New York Times Magazine.
Member Comment
—Vicki Meek on "Alfredo Jaar Is Still Trying to Change the World"
ICYMI
National Pavilions We Loved at the Venice Biennale
As the punishing heat waves of this summer taper off, this might be the perfect time to visit the international exhibition. | Hrag Vartanian and Aruna D’Souza
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