Whitney Biennial Shies From the Moment
Our editor-in-chief's thoughts about the Whitney Biennial, John Yau remembers Thaddeus Mosley, the fallout from the allegations against Cesar Chávez, and more.
Now that the opening fanfare has died down on the Whitney Biennial, the dust largely settled, we can look at the exhibition with a clear gaze — and an eye toward history. How will this biennial be remembered? Will it be remembered?
This year’s edition is muted, somber, moody — frightened, Hyperallergic’s editor-in-chief Hakim Bishara argues. “Barring a few exceptions,” he writes, “I got the sense that the Whitney Biennial is hiding from the world today instead of reflecting on it.” Read his review below.
Also today: John Yau remembers Thaddeus Mosley, Israel moves to ban NYC First Lady Rama Duwaji, artists grapple with sexual abuse allegations against labor leader Cesar Chávez, and our art tarotscope for the spring equinox.
—Lisa Yin Zhang, associate editor
The Whitney Biennial Is for the Faint-Hearted
I got the sense that this biennial is hiding from the world today instead of reflecting on it. | Hakim Bishara
Vilcek Foundation to Award $200,000 in Grants to Nonprofits Uplifting Immigrant Contributions
The foundation invites grant applications from mission-aligned nonprofit organizations in the arts and sciences by April 30, 2026.
Why I Wanted to Meet Thaddeus Mosley
His work had everything to do with what it means to be an artist and member of a community. He was a model for us. | John Yau
News
- In the wake of allegations of sexual abuse against labor leader Cesar Chávez, Latine artists and cultural institutions are facing a moment of reckoning, perhaps most deeply felt in California, where Chávez lived and worked.
- Israel’s Ministry for Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism has reportedly moved to ban artist and NYC First Lady Rama Duwaji from entering the country.
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.
Features
What’s So New About the New Museum Building?
The Lower East Side institution’s OMA-designed, $82 million expansion debuted this week to mixed reviews. | Aaron Short
New Ways of Seeing at the Outsider Art Fair
This year’s edition proves that the key to viewing work by so-called “autodidact” artists is recognizing its capacity and merit as equal to all other art forms. | Bryan Martin
The Season Ahead
Hyperallergic’s Art Tarotscope for the Spring Equinox
The Earth’s orbit around the sun continues unabated, reminding us that nothing is permanent, neither darkness nor light. | AX Mina
Spring in NYC
Hyperallergic Spring 2026 New York Art Guide
The gleeful subversiveness of Duchamp at MoMA, the first major US show on Raphael at The Met, and exhibitions on spirituality, the body, fashion, and more.
