The 2026 Whitney Biennial Aims to Map a New Geography of American Art in ‘a Moment of Profound Transition’

For decades, the Whitney Biennial has functioned not only as the most consequential temperature check on American art, but also as a stage on which the country’s cultural identity is continually contested, rewritten and occasionally torn apart—often through works so politically charged they have sparked controversies, protests and historical withdrawals. What stands out in the newly announced 82nd edition is a curatorial proposition that feels noticeably more subdued, if not muted. Any political and critical statement guiding the curation of this biennial, co-directed by Marcela Guerrero and Drew Sawyer, appears softer and less confrontational, a shift already embedded in the selection of artists.

Set to open on March 8, 2026, this edition of the Whitney Biennial promises to deliver what is described as “a vivid atmospheric survey of contemporary American art shaped by a moment of profound transition.” Its focus centers on what the curators describe as “forms of relationality,” encompassing human relationships—such as familial dynamics and geopolitical entanglements—as well as hybrid and non-human perspectives increasingly explored by contemporary artists. These ideas are framed through an examination of shared narratives and mythologies that can foster a sense of community and belonging, alongside infrastructural systems and frameworks that enable society to function effectively.

“Rather than coming to our research for the biennial with a preconceived container, Marcela and I let our conversations with artists guide us. After more than 300 visits, we found that many of the artists we gravitated toward were exploring various forms of relationality with a particular emphasis on infrastructures,” Sawyer said in a statement. Rather than offering a definitive answer to contemporary life, the biennial foregrounds mood and texture, inviting visitors into environments that evoke tension, tenderness, humor and unease, the curatorial statement notes. The underlying aim is to articulate a more conciliatory perspective on the complexity of the present and to suggest hopeful possibilities for alternative forms of coexistence between humans and within the natural and technological networks to which we are all connected. Even so, the recently released list of 56 biennial artists, duos and collectives signals the tenor of the conversations this edition will inevitably confront, whether or not the museum and its curatorial framework choose to address them explicitly.

Given Guerrero’s past curatorial projects—as the first curator at the Whitney dedicated to Latinx artists and someone who has worked at the museum for seven years, including organizing the 2022 exhibition “No existe un mundo poshuracán: Puerto Rican Art in the Wake of Hurricane Maria”—a strong presence of artists from South America and the Caribbean was to be expected, along with a direct engagement with the role of the U.S. in the region. The 2026 Whitney Biennial artists’ list, however, suggests an even broader examination of U.S. imperialism and the long-term effects of U.S. missions framed as efforts to bring “peace and civilization.” Alongside artists from 25 states and across the Americas, there are artists from Afghanistan, Chile, Iraq, Okinawa, the Philippines, Vietnam and elsewhere, pointing to a broader reflection on regions profoundly shaped by the reach of U.S. power.

“Drew and I assembled this list of 56 artists after conducting more than 300 studio visits across the country and abroad. The group is intergenerational and international, reflecting the many ways artists remain interconnected through their practices despite geographic distance,” Guerrero told Observer. “We hope this biennial is an opportunity for visitors to discover new and inspiring artists, and for those who may recognize some of the names, we hope the biennial offers an opportunity to see this network of artists in full display.”

Among the artists selected, many have already participated in other international biennials like the Sharjah Biennial or the Aichi Triennial, events rooted in cultural and sociopolitical contexts that demand a comparable level of “attention,” now increasingly expected within U.S. institutions as well. These artists include Basel Abbas and Ruanne Abou-Rahme, Akira Ikezoe, Enzo Camacho and Ami Lien, Ali Eyal, Aziz Hazara and Zach Blas, among others. At the same time, the birthplaces, surnames and current places of residence of many participants point to a far more layered—if not globally fluid—notion of American art and culture today, shaped by ongoing multicultural exchange. Among the more established figures in the U.S. art scene are Kelly Akashi, Teresa Baker, Andrea Fraser, Erin Jane Nelson and David L. Johnson.

In this sense, the 82nd Whitney Biennial already functions as a kind of thermometer for the U.S. in 2026, reflecting a cultural landscape in which museums operate under mounting scrutiny and pressure—so intense that, as in other notoriously conservative contexts, cultural production often circles around explicit political commentary rather than confronting it head-on. The issues persist nonetheless and are addressed through more nuanced, oblique and strategic forms of expression, as well as through curatorial decisions themselves. Here, the selection of artists stands as the biennial’s most explicit statement about the version of American art it intends to foreground.

Notably, this biennial will be the first since the launch of all three of the Whitney’s free admissions programs for visitors under 25, following Julie Mehretu’s major donation of more than 2 million dollars last year. “This is a show that is always full of emerging talents and new ideas about American art, so I can think of no greater gift to our younger audiences than a biennial that is entirely free for everyone twenty-five and under from anywhere in the world,” Whitney director Scott Rothkopf said in a statement.

The full list of 2026 Whitney Biennial artists is as follows:

• Basel Abbas & Ruanne Abou-Rahme
• Kelly Akashi
• Kamrooz Aram
• Ash Arder
• Teresa Baker
• Sula Bermudez-Silverman
• Zach Blas
• Enzo Camacho & Ami Lien
• Leo Castañeda
• CFGNY
• Nani Chacon
• Maia Chao
• Joshua Citarella
• Mo Costello
• Taína H. Cruz
• Carmen de Monteflores
• Ali Eyal
• Andrea Fraser
• Mariah Garnett
• Ignacio Gatica
• Jonathan González
• Emilie Louise Gossiaux
• Kainoa Gruspe
• Martine Gutierrez
• Samia Halaby
• Raven Halfmoon
• Nile Harris with Dyer Rhoads
• Aziz Hazara
• Margaret Honda
• Akira Ikezoe
• Mao Ishikawa
• Cooper Jacoby
• David L. Johnson
• kekahi wahi
• Young Joon Kwak
• Michelle Lopez
• José Maceda
• Agosto Machado
• Oswaldo Maciá
• Emilio Martínez Poppe
• Isabelle Frances McGuire
• Kimowan Metchewais
• Nour Mobarak
• Erin Jane Nelson
• Precious Okoyomon
• Aki Onda
• Pat Oleszko
• Malcolm Peacock
• Sarah M. Rodriguez
• Gabriela Ruiz
• Jasmin Sian
• Jordan Strafer
• Sung Tieu
• Julio Torres
• Anna Tsouhlarakis
• Johanna Unzueta

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