The 56 Artists Featured in the 2026 Whitney Biennial
The Whitney Museum of American Art, situated in the dynamic Chelsea district of New York City, has been an important cultural establishment since its inception in 1930. Renowned for its contribution to shaping the canon of American art, the museum has organized famous biennials every other year for nearly a century. These exhibitions function as a stage for highlighting the nation’s cultural, political, and artistic trends.
The upcoming Whitney Biennial 2026, set to open on March 8, 2026, will present 56 artists, collaborations, and collectives meticulously chosen by curators Marcela Guerrero and Drew Sawyer. In their selection process, they visited more than 300 artist studios across the globe. While the majority of participants hail from New York or California, the biennial will also showcase 21 artists originally from nations such as Afghanistan, Cyprus, Iran, Iraq, Japan, Palestine, and Vietnam. This varied representation emphasizes the Whitney’s changing concept of “American art,” recognizing influences that extend beyond the borders of the United States.
The participation of these international artists illustrates that American art is not exclusively created within the U.S.; it also includes practices from regions historically impacted by American influence. For example, Japanese photographer Mao Ishikawa, born in U.S.-controlled Okinawa, will display images capturing the experiences of Black soldiers stationed there during the 1970s. Concurrently, Afghan artist Aziz Hazara will present his ongoing work “Coming Home,” which involves transporting waste from a former American military base near Kabul to the U.S. Notable international artists also participating include José Maceda from the Philippines, Chilean artists Johanna Unzueta and Ignacio Gatica, and Egyptian artist Nour Mobarak.
The biennial will feature a strong lineup of emerging artists, with around 60% born after 1980, alongside established figures such as conceptual artist Andrea Fraser, Palestinian artist Samia Halaby, and Julio Torres, celebrated for his contributions to “Saturday Night Live” and the HBO series “Los Espookys.” Additionally, Carmen de Monteflores, Fraser’s mother, will be the eldest artist in the exhibition, showcasing her vibrant canvases of nude figures, which Fraser introduced to the curators.
Currently, the 2026 biennial does not have a title, but its thematic focus examines relationships during a “time of significant transition,” addressing interspecies kinships, familial ties, and geopolitical and technological interconnections. Whitney Museum’s director, Scott Rothkopf, remarked that the exhibition enables visitors to interact with a world experienced as structurally precarious and emotionally charged, yet brimming with potential, as sensed by the artists.
For those eager to delve into the connection between global cultural narratives and American art, the Whitney Biennial 2026 promises to be a rewarding experience. For further details, including a full list of participating artists and additional insights, visit the Whitney Museum’s official website.