{"id":75329,"date":"2026-03-11T20:49:56","date_gmt":"2026-03-11T17:49:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/art50.net\/parallel-venice-2026-exhibition-guide\/"},"modified":"2026-04-02T16:15:28","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T13:15:28","slug":"parallel-venice-2026-exhibition-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/art50.net\/en\/parallel-venice-2026-exhibition-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Parallel Venice 2026: Exhibition Highlights"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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For many years, the Venice Biennale was primarily associated with the main exhibitions at the Giardini and the Arsenale. In recent years however, the city\u2019s parallel exhibitions have gained equal prominence, attracting nearly as much attention as the Biennale itself. These large-scale shows, hosted by foundations, private collections, and historic palaces, are now seen as a natural extension of the Biennale program; the art world anticipates these exhibitions each edition with nearly the same excitement as the pavilions themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The 2026 Biennale program, spread across different points of Venice, once again highlights this trend. Alongside the Pinault Collection exhibitions at Palazzo Grassi and Punta della Dogana, the Transforming Energy exhibition at the Gallerie dell\u2019Accademia\u2014marking Marina Abramovi\u0107\u2019s 80th birthday\u2014the first installment of Peggy Guggenheim in London: The Making of a Collector at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Anish Kapoor\u2019s site-specific abstract installations, and Amoako Boafo\u2019s contemporary Black portraiture represent key stops that take the Biennale experience beyond the pavilions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Below is a selection of the most notable parallel exhibitions to visit in Venice during the 2026 Biennale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jenny Saville<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ca\u2019 Pesaro \u2013 Galleria Internazionale d\u2019Arte Moderna<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

28 March \u2013 22 November 2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This is British painter Jenny Saville\u2019s first major exhibition in Venice, presenting her practice from the 1990s to the present through approximately thirty paintings. Renowned for her radical approach to representing the body in figurative painting, Saville is one of the artists who has forged a new visual language in contemporary painting, particularly through her large-scale canvases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The exhibition at Ca\u2019 Pesaro places Saville\u2019s monumental figures in dialogue with the legacy of Titian, Tintoretto, and other Venetian masters within the museum\u2019s permanent collection. The final section of the show features new works created in response to Venice, allowing Saville\u2019s practice to directly engage with the city\u2019s historical painting traditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jenny Saville, Byzantium<\/em>, 2018 \u00a9 Jenny Saville. Photo: Mike Bruce<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Joseph Kosuth<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Casa dei Tre Oci<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

28 March \u2013 22 November 2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Dedicated to one of conceptual art\u2019s pioneers, this exhibition focuses on Joseph Kosuth\u2019s practice centered on language, meaning, and representation. Since the 1960s, Kosuth has explored the relationship of art to ideas rather than objects, and his text-based works position him as a central figure in conceptual art. At Casa dei Tre Oci, the exhibition brings together site-specific installations alongside selected works spanning Kosuth\u2019s long career. Produced in collaboration with Berggruen Arts & Culture, the show invites viewers to reconsider his philosophically inflected practice within Venice\u2019s historical context.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Joseph Kosuth \u2018 Chain of Resemblance. Photo (rendering): Joseph Kosuth Studio<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Michael Armitage<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Palazzo Grassi<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

29 March 2026 \u2013 10 January 2027<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Organized by the Pinault Collection, this exhibition gathers significant works from the last decade by Michael Armitage, one of contemporary painting\u2019s leading figures. The Kenya-born artist merges African and European cultures in his work, addressing history and social issues with a distinctive visual language. Through large-scale canvases and a vibrant palette, Armitage blends figurative and abstract elements, taking viewers on both an emotional and visual journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Palazzo Grassi\u2019s historic architecture interacts with Armitage\u2019s dynamic and dense scenes. The works transform the perspective of the rooms and spatial perception, creating an environment that draws the viewer into the paintings. The exhibition engages with questions of collective memory, identity, and individual narratives, offering audiences both observational and contemplative participation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Michael Armitage, Dandora (Xala, Musicians), 2022, Pinault Collection. Installation view Marco Cappelletti Studio.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Amar Kanwar<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Palazzo Grassi<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

29 March 2026 \u2013 10 January 2027<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This comprehensive exhibition by Indian artist Amar Kanwar examines political and social themes through photography, video, and site-specific installations. Kanwar addresses history, memory, power structures, and social injustice through a quiet yet powerful visual language. Key installations, including The Peacock\u2019s Graveyard, provide visitors with a visually and intellectually intense experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Curated in dialogue with Palazzo Grassi\u2019s architecture, the exhibition uses spacious rooms and natural light to integrate Kanwar\u2019s works with the setting. As visitors move through the exhibition, they gain spatial awareness while reflecting deeply on contemporary social issues. Kanwar\u2019s practice transforms art into not only a visual experience but also a tool for awareness and critical inquiry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Amar Kanwar, The Peacock\u2019s Graveyard, 2023 (still), Pinault Collection, Digital video installation, Courtesy Marian Goodman Gallery<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Lorna Simpson<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Punta della Dogana<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

29 March 2026 \u2013 22 November 2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This retrospective brings together paintings, collages, sculptures, and video works by one of contemporary art\u2019s key figures, Lorna Simpson. Simpson is known for her practice exploring identity, memory, gender, and cultural representation. The works on display offer a perspective in which personal and societal experiences intersect visually and conceptually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The expansive and open spaces of Punta della Dogana allow Simpson\u2019s multidisciplinary works to be experienced fully. Visitors can explore the artist\u2019s reflections on history and culture while engaging with narratives that interrogate both individual and collective memory. The exhibition presents her oeuvre chronologically and thematically, inviting audiences to experience the interplay between art and social critique.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Lorna Simpson, Woman on a Snowball, Courtesy of the artist and Hauser & Wirth. Photo: Marco Cappelletti<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Paulo Nazareth<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Punta della Dogana<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

29 March 2026 \u2013 22 November 2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This exhibition presents Brazilian artist Paulo Nazareth\u2019s output from the last twenty years, including his performative walks. Nazareth addresses history, identity, migration, borders, and social justice, providing a multilayered experience that prompts reflection on global issues. The exhibition combines his collections, documentation, and site-specific installations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The spatial characteristics of Punta della Dogana complement Nazareth\u2019s performative and installation-focused works, offering audiences a deeply physical and intellectual experience. The works highlight the connection between individual stories and collective memory, inviting visitors to join the artist on journeys exploring different geographies and cultures. The exhibition establishes a dialogue between space and art, delivering a compelling visual and conceptual experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Paulo Nazareth, Antropologia do negro I and II, 2014, Pinault Collection<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Peggy Guggenheim in London: The Making of a Collector<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Peggy Guggenheim Collection<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

25 April \u2013 19 October 2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The first installment of Peggy Guggenheim in London: The Making of a Collector, which focuses on the formative years in London that played a decisive role in shaping Peggy Guggenheim\u2019s identity as a collector, will be on view at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection throughout the Biennale season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Through her Guggenheim Jeune gallery in London in 1938\u201339, Guggenheim supported leading figures of modern art, introducing prominent European avant-garde artists to the international art scene during this brief yet intense period. Bringing together approximately one hundred works, the exhibition revisits the development of Guggenheim\u2019s vision as a collector and her role in the history of modern art. Visitors are thus witness not only to the evolution of a collection but also to the formation of an international cultural network that reshaped the direction of 20th-century art.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Curated by Gra\u017eina Subelyt\u0117 and Simon Grant, the exhibition will continue its international journey following its presentation in Venice:<\/p>\n\n\n\n