Art World

Here’s All the Art in the 2026 Whitney Biennial

What's the big survey show all about? Judge for yourself.

An installation view of Raven Halfmoon’s large-scale stoneware sculpture at the Whitney Biennial, featuring a double-headed figure with textured, glazed surfaces on a stone base.
Raven Halfmoon, Sun Twins (2023). Photo by Ben Davis.

by  Ben Davis

I’ve already published a first take on the 2026 Whitney Biennial, as have a bunch of the other critics—consensus forms fast these days! So far that consensus says “above average.”

Not that I disagree with that, but almost certainly consensus forms too fast. This is a show that benefits from spending some time with it. Curators Marcela Guerrero and Drew Sawyer are putting the stress on mood here, but for the most part it’s not a big mood. It helps to steep in it a bit.

Pictures will only take you so far with a show like that. Nevertheless, for those who are looking to get an impression of what the show is all about, here are some images.

Outside

A green tinged billboard of a grinning child installed outside of the Whitney Museum of American Art.

Taína H. Cruz, I Saw the Future and It Smiled Back, installed as a billboard outside of the Whitney Museum. Photo by Ben Davis.

A monumental ceramic sculpture by Raven Halfmoon, featuring two fused, textured figures divided into black and white glazes, stands outside the Whitney Museum in New York.

A work by Raven Halfmoon outside of the Whitney Museum of American Art. Photo by Ben Davis.

Ground Floor

A surreal art installation by Zach Blas bathed in red light, featuring geometric structures, neon floor patterns, and a glowing blue spherical projection.

Installation by Zach Blas in the Whitney Museum of American Art. Photo by Ben Davis.

Fifth Floor

An installation view of the Whitney Biennial featuring large yellow wall text, hardwood floors, and various sculptures and artworks displayed throughout a bright gallery space.

The entrance to the 2026 Whitney Biennial on the fifth floor of the museum. Photo by Ben Davis.

Numerous small, colorful, gourd-shaped sculptures are arranged on a tiered white circular platform in a spacious museum gallery with light wood floors and blue walls.

Installation view of Emilie Louise Gosslaux, Kong Play (2025). Photo by Ben Davis.

A vibrant, colorful drawing by Emilie Louise Gossiaux features a woman and her guide dog, London, frolicking together in a field of oversized daisies.

A drawing by Emilie Louise Gosslaux in the 2026 Whitney Biennial. Photo by Ben Davis.

An installation view of Precious Okoyomon’s work at the Whitney Biennial

Precious Okoyomon, work from Everything wants to kill you and you should be afraid (2026). Photo by Ben Davis.

Intricate, silvery abstract sculptures by Sarah M. Rodriguez sit on white pedestals in a sunlit gallery overlooking the Hudson River at the Whitney Museum.

Works by Sarah M. Rodriguez in the Whitney Biennial 2026. Photo by Ben Davis.

Three translucent, purple-toned glass sculptures by Sula Bermúdez-Silverman are mounted on a white wall, appearing like delicate bubbles held by heavy, dark metal clamps.

Works by Sula Bermúdez-Silverman in the 2026 Whitney Biennial. Photo by Ben Davis.

In a sunlit gallery, a collection of framed drawings and delicate, horn-shaped glass sculptures by Oswaldo Maciá are displayed alongside large-format maps on a white wall.

Oswaldo Maciá, Requiem for the Insects (2026). Photo by Ben Davis.

An installation view of Carmen de Monteflores’s work at the Whitney Biennial, featuring large, brightly colored cut-out figures in various poses mounted on two adjacent gallery walls.

Two works by Carmen de Monteflores in the 2026 Whitney Biennial. Photo by Ben Davis.

Five life-size wax sculptures of nude toddlers by Andrea Fraser are displayed on white pedestals inside transparent Plexiglas cases against a large gallery window.

Works by Andrea Fraser in the 2026 Whitney Biennial. Photo by Ben Davis.

Against a dark wall, a textured, tall vertical sculpture by Nour Mobarak transitions from deep blue to vibrant orange, resembling a petrified organic column.

Works by Nour Mobarak in the 2026 Whitney Biennial. Photo by Ben Davis.

A sparkling, chrome-like sculpture of a fragmented human form covered in blue and silver rhinestones sits on a pedestal in a bright yellow gallery.

Young Joon Kwak, Divine Dance of Soft Revolt (Anna, Travis, Me), 2024. Photo by Ben Davis.

A large, whimsical wall drawing of a long-legged character in high heels stands on a curved gallery wall, with museum visitors viewing art nearby.

Works by Taína H. Cruz in the 2026 Whitney Biennial. Photo by Ben Davis.

An installation view of Leo Castañeda’s Camoflux Recall Grotto at the Whitney Biennial, showing two visitors interacting with a video game on a large screen mounted against a colorful, muraled wall, with one visitor seated on a fluid, organic-shaped sculptural bench.

Leo Castañeda’s Camoflux Recall Grotto at the 2026 Whitney Biennial. Photo by Ben Davis.

A vibrant, green, blue, and silver sculpture of a biological machine features exposed organs and mechanical parts, set against a backdrop of colorful, retro-style computer windows.

Gabriela Ruiz, Homo Machina (Human Machine, a.k.a. Gay Machine) (2026). Photo by Ben Davis.

A monumental, eight-foot-tall sculpture resembling a massive tree trunk

Malcolm Peacock, Five of them were hers and she carved shelters with windows into the backs of their skulls coalesces as a maybe tree (2024). Photo by Ben Davis.

An installation view of Kimowan Metchewais’s work at the Whitney Biennial, featuring a series of black-and-white photographs and mixed-media assemblages arranged in a precise horizontal line across a white gallery wall

Various works by Kimowan Metchewais in the 2026 Whitney Biennial. Photo by Ben Davis.

Two panel works of art stood up between plastic panes in an art gallery

Works by Johanna Unzueta in the 2026 Whitney Biennial. Photo by Ben Davis.

Against a dark wall, a multi-channel video installation features vibrant, color-saturated scenes of figures and landscapes projected onto various vertical surfaces.

Basel Abbas and Ruanne Abou-Rahme, Until we became fire and fire us (2023-ongoing). Photo by Ben Davis.

A textured, green and brown ceramic sculpture by Erin Jane Nelson features small, black-and-white photographs embedded into its surface like ancient, organic fossils.

A work by Erin Jane Nelson in the 2025 Whitney Biennial. Photo by Ben Davis.

A vibrant, multi-layered collage by Enzo Camacho and Ami Lien features a water buffalo in a field, framed by an intricate, yellow-patterned border with cutouts.

Work by Enzo Camacho and Ami Lien. Photo by Ben Davis.

A video of a woman in pink athletic gear performing a workout is projected onto a large salmon-colored wall in a bright, modern art gallery.

Installation view of kekahi wahi with Bradley Capello, 20-minute workout (WIP) (2023/2026). Photo by Ben Davis.

A gallery wall with a row of small black-framed artworks that look like doilies

Installation view of works by Jasmin Sian in the 2026 Whitney Biennial. Photo by Ben Davis.

A vibrant landscape painting by Samia Halaby, featuring bold, geometric shards of blue, yellow, and green, hangs on a gallery wall with visitors in the background.

Work by Teresa Baker in the 2026 Whitney Biennial. Photo by Ben Davis.

An installation view of Jordan Strafer’s video "TALK SHOW" at the Whitney Biennial, showing two tan armchairs facing a large screen depicting women and children clapping.

Jordan Strafer, TALK SHOW (2026). Photo by Ben Davis.

Large-scale, colorful inflatable sculptures by Pat Oleszko in a gallery, featuring a giant green jester head connected by a yellow tube to a spiked horn

Installation view of Pat Oleszko, Blowhard (1995). Photo by Ben Davis.

An installation view of Isabelle Frances McGuire’s sculptures at the Whitney Biennial, featuring three life-sized, textured figures, two wearing black hooded cloaks, in a gallery.

Works by Isabelle Frances McGuire in the 2026 Whitney Biennial. Photo by Ben Davis.

An installation view of Nile Harris’s work at the Whitney Biennial, featuring a digital LED ticker displaying text and a small, bright green shipping crate.

Nile Harris with Dyer Rhoads in the 2026 Whitney Biennial. Photo by Ben Davis.

An installation view of Ignacio Gatica’s Sanhattan at the Whitney Biennial, featuring a large video screen displaying a cityscape and a hanging LED coordinate display.

Ignacio Gatica, Sanhattan (2025). Photo by Ben Davis.

An outdoor installation view of Kelly Akashi’s glass sculpture at the Whitney Biennial, featuring a translucent, brick-like structure and path set against the New York City skyline.

Kelly Akashi, Monument (Altadena) (2026). Photo by Ben Davis.

Stairwell

An installation view of Sung Tieu’s work at the Whitney Biennial, featuring a sequence of overlapping, glowing numbers projected in green and orange onto a gray concrete wall above a museum staircase as a visitor descends

Sung Tieu, System’s Void (2026). Photo by Ben Davis.

Sixth Floor

An installation view of Michelle Lopez’s work at the Whitney Biennial, showing several visitors sitting beneath a large, circular ceiling projection of a clear blue sky.

Installation view of Michelle Lopez, Pandemonium (2025). Photo by Ben Davis.

An installation view of Ali Eyal’s painting, Look Where I Took You, at the Whitney Biennial, featuring a surreal, densely populated carnival scene

Ali Eyal, Look Where I Took You(2026). Photo by Ben Davis.

A wall label on a wall in an art gallery stating the name "Joshua Citarella"

A wall label suggesting that the artist Joshua Citarella will do a podcast during the course of the show. Photo by Ben Davis.

An installation view of Raven Halfmoon’s large-scale stoneware sculpture at the Whitney Biennial, featuring a double-headed figure with textured, glazed surfaces on a stone base.

Raven Halfmoon, Sun Twins (2023). Photo by Ben Davis.

An installation view of a multimedia work at the Whitney Biennial featuring large photographic panels and text-based boards mounted on a silver scaffolding structure in a gallery.

A visitor looks at a work by Emilio Martínez Poppe in the 2026 Whitney Biennial. Photo by Ben Davis.

Various small works by Kainoa Gruspe in the 2026 Whitney Biennial installed in a low plinth along the ground

Works by Kainoa Gruspe in the 2026 Whitney Biennial. Photo by Ben Davis.

An installation view of Jonathan González’s work at the Whitney Biennial, showing three small, vertically stacked photographs in white frames featuring architectural details in blue and pink tones.

Three photos by Jonathan González in the 2026 Whitney Biennial. Photo by Ben Davis.

An installation view of Maia Chao’s Scores for the Museum Visitor at the Whitney Biennial, featuring black instructional text printed on a white gallery wall with a visitor walking past.

Maia Chao, Scores for the Museum Visitor (2026). Photo by Ben Davis.

An installation view of Mo Costello’s Untitled (Readers) at the Whitney Biennial, showing several spiral-bound notebooks and papers laid out on a white pedestal.

Installation view of Mo Costello, Untitled (Readers) (2015-2026). Photo by Ben Davis

An installation view of David L. Johnson's Rules at the Whitney Biennial, featuring various metal "Rules of Conduct" signs from public spaces mounted on a gallery wall.

Installation view of David L. Johnson, Rule (2024-ongoing). Photo by Ben Davis.

An installation view of Aziz Hazara’s Moon Sightings at the Whitney Biennial, showing a series of glowing, green-hued lightboxes mounted on a dark green gallery wall.

Aziz Hazara, Moon Sightings (2024). Photo by Ben Davis.

An installation view of Samia Halaby’s kinetic paintings at the Whitney Biennial, featuring a row of small digital screens displaying vibrant, geometric abstract patterns on a gallery wall.

Works by Samia Halaby in the 2026 Whitney Biennial. Photo by Ben Davis.

An installation view of a multimedia display at the Whitney Biennial featuring small sculptures, framed art, and a collection of photographs arranged on white pedestals.

Works by Agosto Machado in the 2026 Whitney Biennial. Photo by Ben Davis.

A gallery installation by Cooper Jacoby featuring patterned screen panels with a built-in device, lime green carpet, and a person viewing wall-mounted circular artworks.

Installation view of works by Cooper Jacoby at the Whitney Biennial. Photo by Ben Davis.

An installation view of the Whitney Biennial featuring a large, low wooden planter filled with dark soil in the foreground. In the background, a vibrant blue painting with various diagrams and a tall, green sculptural cabinet filled with small objects are mounted on white gallery walls.

Installation view of works by Akira Ikezoe, Ash Arder, and Agosto Machado in the 2026 Whitney Biennial. Photo by Ben Davis.

Akira Ikezoe’s painting at the Whitney Biennial, showing numerous small, white figures engaged in various industrial and artistic tasks across a solid red field

Akira Ikezoe, Robot Stories Around Solar Panels (2025). Photo by Ben Davis.

An installation view of another work by Ash Arder at the Whitney Biennial, featuring a small, stainless steel refrigerator with a glass door sitting on a white pedestal. Inside the blue-lit interior, three delicate, trophy-like sculptures—two white and one black—are displayed on the top shelf

Ash Arder, Consumables (2023). Photo by Ben Davis.

An installation view of Anna Tsouhlaris's sculpture at the Whitney Biennial, showing a large white horse figure emerging from a base of smooth, balloon-like shapes, with multiple arms extending from its back pointing in different directions.

Anna Tsouhlararkis, SHE MUST BE A MATRIARCH (2023). Photo by Ben Davis.

An installation view of CFGNY’s work at the Whitney Biennial, showing fractured, ceramic sculptures displayed within a light-colored wooden structure with mirrored surfaces.

CFGNY, Continuous Fractures Generating New Yields (2025). Photo by Ben Davis.

An installation view of Mao Ishikawa photos at the Whitney Biennial.

Works by Mao Ishikawa in the 2026 Whitney Biennial. Photo by Ben Davis.

An installation view of Kamrooz Aram’s work at the Whitney Biennial, featuring a decorative folding screen with a multi-colored geometric pattern and a wall-mounted wooden display case containing ceramic vessels and framed art, set against a soft pink gallery wall.

Works by Kamrooz Aram in the 2026 Whitney Biennial. Photo by Ben Davis.

An installation view of Mariah Garnett’s video work at the Whitney Biennial, showing a large projection of two orange cats on a stone path within a dark blue gallery room, as a visitor watches from the side.

Installation view of Mariah Garnett, Songbook (2024). Photo by Ben Davis.

An installation view of a collaborative work by José Maceda and Aki Onda at the Whitney Biennial, featuring rows of vintage transistor radios and boomboxes of various sizes and colors arranged on a three-tiered white pedestal in front of a large window.

José Maceda and Aki Onda, Ugnayan (1974/2026). Photo by Ben Davis.

An installation view of Nani Chacon’s outdoor sculptures at the Whitney Biennial, featuring three tall, black steel structures resembling electrical towers with decorative, geometric metal accents, situated on a terrace overlooking the New York City skyline.

Three sculptures by Nani Chacon in the 2026 Whitney Biennial. Photo by Ben Davis.

“Whitney Biennial 2026” is on view March 8–August 23, 2026 at the Whitney Museum of American Art, 99 Gansevoort Street, New York, New York.

Ben Davis

National Art Critic
Article topics
Contemporary

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