The Whitney Museum of American Art has revealed the lineup of 56 artists, including groups and pairs, participating in the upcoming Whitney Biennial 2026. The event is being curated by an internal team featuring Marcela Guerrero, Drew Sawyer, Beatriz Cifuentes, and Carina Martinez. Notable artists in the 82nd edition include Palestinian artist Samia Halaby, performance artist Andrea Fraser, and photographer Mao Ishikawa from Okinawa.
This year’s exhibition aims to explore various aspects of relationality, such as interspecies connections, family ties, geopolitical interactions, technological relationships, shared myths, and infrastructure support, according to the museum’s statement. The announcement marks the end of a challenging year for the Whitney, following the suspension of its Independent Study Program after a Palestinian mourning performance was canceled, leading to accusations of anti-Palestinian censorship by alumni and faculty.
In this biennial, 21 artists hail from outside the United States, including regions like Vietnam, Cyprus, Afghanistan, Palestine, Japan, Iran, Iraq, and Puerto Rico. Among them is Ali Eyal, a painter born in Baghdad and based in Los Angeles, whose work reflects on the U.S. occupation of Iraq during his childhood. The Whitney Biennial, with roots dating back to 1932, presents itself as a snapshot of American art from the past two years, and has been subject to its share of controversies through the decades.
Past biennials have faced criticism and protests, such as the backlash against Dana Schutz’s 2017 painting of Emmett Till and the 2019 boycott by several artists over Warren Kanders’ involvement in tear gas production. The 2026 edition will open on March 8 amidst the Trump administration’s actions against Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives. It remains to be seen how the selected artists will address this evolving political landscape.
The list of participants, including artists, duos, and collectives, is available on the Whitney’s website. Some of the duos include Basel Abbas and Ruanne Abou-Rahme, and Enzo Camacho and Ami Lien, while collectives like CFGNY and kekahi wahi add to the diversity of the exhibition. Individual artists from various backgrounds and regions further enrich the biennial’s offerings.
