Biennale of Sydney 2026 Asks Artists and Visitors to Reflect on Their Roots
With a line‑up spotlighting First Nations and diasporic artists, the exhibition’s 25th edition will explore how memory and history intersect to reconstruct narratives that have been erased or suppressed. Save to My Ocula
The Biennale of Sydney is returning next spring with a line-up of artists that represents the diversity of Australia’s biggest city and its Indigenous people.
The Sydney Biennale aims to put ‘marginalised narratives’ at the front of centre next March, encouraging visitors to rethink ‘how memory shapes identity and belonging’.
Curator and art world powerhouse Hoor Al Qasimi announced the 37 artists taking part between 14 March and 14 June next year, along with the title Rememory, drawn from the work of American author Toni Morrison and framing the exhibition as an exploration of how memory and history intersect to reconstruct narratives that have been erased or suppressed.
She said it’s through the ‘defiant act of sharing, seeing, and understanding’ that the invited artists and creators explore the ‘hidden effects of history and how it continues to shape the present in an evolving and consuming conversation’.
So far, 37 artists and collectives have been announced, including Abdul Abdullah (Australia/Thailand), Bouchra Khalili (Morocco/Austria), Edgar Calel (Kaqchikel, Guatemala), Michael Rakowitz (U.S.), and Tuan Andrew Nguyen (Vietnam/U.S.).
The list includes 15 First Nations artists commissioned to create new work for the exhibition, all of whom will work with Bruce Johnson McLean, First Nations curatorial fellow at the Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain, which has partnered with the Biennale for the initiative.
The exhibition will be staged right across the city, with work on display in venues like the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Campbelltown Arts Centre, Chau Chak Wing Museum at the University of Sydney, and White Bay Power Station.
Barbara Moore, CEO of the Biennale of Sydney, described the event as a platform for ‘discussion, exploration, and sharing ideas,’ adding that next year’s biennial will present ‘innovative work by some of the most impactful contemporary artists of our time’.
The full list of artists and programming details will be announced later this year. —[O]
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