Biennials & festivals

Fierce debate over Christoph Büchel's Venice Biennale display of boat that sank with hundreds locked in hull

Up to 1,100 may have died on board the fishing vessel; critics say its display is grossly insensitive at best while others describe it as a powerful reminder of exploitation

Whitney Biennial aims to focus on artists but—as protests mount—it cannot escape politics

The Whitney Museum has turned to two in-house curators to put together a show that celebrates diversity in American art—but as in 2017, the biennial is already mired in controversy

Venice Biennale 2019: the must-see pavilions around the city

An indoor beach, Mongolian throat singing and ceramic vaginas—where to go beyond the Arsenale and Giardini

We've chosen the best of the art in Venice, now here's the worst

We’ve seen a lot of exhibitions in the city so you don’t have to

Veterans and artists draw creative profit out of war

A project at the inaugural National Veterans Art Museum Triennial in Chicago aims to create artistic equity out of conflict

Why is the Venice Biennale still so important?

Historical importance, glamour, big spenders—it continues to be an art festival like no other

Honey I shrunk the art: the ultimate alternative biennial opens in Los Angeles

Dollhouse-sized paintings and installations replace big artistic statements and egos

The 2019 Havana Biennial is a smokescreen for government censorship

Art fares poorly when parroting official narratives, especially when that messaging is opposed to the values of free speech and an open society

Havana Biennial opens amid controversy

Works on view draw on themes of collaboration and agency, at the same time the government seeks to control what art can be shown on the island

Okwui Enwezor was one of the most influential curators in history

The Art Newspaper's features editor Ben Luke pays tribute

Cubanews

Activists to stage alternative biennial in Havana

Independent artists groups plan to put Cuba's controversial Decree 349 to the test

Why we need an independent biennial in Havana

The San Isidro Group of Cuban artists explain their plans for the Bienal Sin 349

Authorities cancel activist youth festival in Russia's Far East

Officials raised concerns that the festival was promoting an LGBT agenda

Fake news, contested histories and fluctuating borders: the Sharjah Biennial in pictures

The 14th edition of the international exhibition in the United Arab Emirates includes more than 80 artists with over 60 new commissions

Why Milan’s triennial is a matter of life and death

Human extinction and planetary devastation are tackled in the XXII Triennale di Milano—but the message is one of hope through innovation

'I stand in solidarity with the staff and say no': Michael Rakowitz on why he turned down the Whitney Biennial

Recent controversies over the museum's board prompt artist to question participation in this year's event

Block Universe performance festival expands to Berlin power station

New 350 sq. m contemporary art space E-Werk Luckenwalde has joined the programme for the event's fifth anniversary

Honolulu Biennial focuses on indigenous artists and local issues

The second edition of the biennial takes a proudly Pacific-centred view

Hits and misses at Palm Springs's second Desert X biennial

Some half-baked works mean this year’s event fails to live up to the promise of the first edition

Singapore Biennale to look on the bright side of life

Exhibition in November "puts its faith squarely in the potential of art to rework the world”

Zimbabwe biennial postponed amid political turmoil

As civil unrest and internet shutdowns continue, organisers say they now hope to hold event in 2020

Environmental issues grow on the Taipei Biennale

Co-curators Mali Wu and Francesco Manacorda have invited Taiwanese indigenous land right protesters to occupy parts of the Taipei Fine Arts Museum

Podcastspodcast

2019: art market predictions and the best events

From Brexit worries to emerging trends, we look ahead at what to expect from the art market this year. Plus, our correspondents pick the must-see exhibitions, fairs and festivals. Produced in association with Bonhams, auctioneers since 1793.

Hosted by Ben Luke. with guest speakers Georgina Adam, Louisa Buck and Jane Morris. Produced by Julia Michalska, David Clack and Aimee Dawson

Must-see biennials, triennials and festivals in 2019

From "interesting times" at Ralph Rugoff's Venice Biennale to an Anthropocene-inspired Istanbul Biennial, plus Sharjah and the best of the rest

In association withQatar Museums

We are all America: first Faena Festival aims to unify, not divide

There is continuity across the two continents, says curator of Miami Beach event

Queensland museum will receive major boost from ninth Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art

Acquisitions include woven clothing mats from the Marshall Islands and reflections on the Khmer Rouge’s reign of terror

Bangkok’s first biennial is a blissed-out affair

Artists from 33 countries explore theme of happiness at event with works shown in galleries, temples, shopping malls and hotels

Pittsburgh’s Carnegie International is a DIY (Do Interpret Yourself) exhibition

The show’s curator Ingrid Schaffner has avoided an ill-fitting theme and allowed the art to speak for itself—sometimes this works and sometimes it does not