Walid Raad at Venice Biennale 2026
Published on 08/22/2026 at 15:15 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Walid Raad is on view in Venice this season, with work included in the 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia. Paula Cooper Gallery documents the participation and lists the run from May 8 to November 22, 2026.
Venice frames the peg
The strongest current peg is Raad's Venice presence, because it gives the artist a live institutional stage and a clear calendar. Paula Cooper Gallery's exhibition page identifies the installation works Far from quieting and Postscript to the Arabic Edition in the biennial presentation.
The same page places the works at the Giardini and the Arsenale, which still matters for Discover readers tracking where major artists surface. It also gives the concrete time frame in 2026, not a vague seasonal mention. Paula Cooper Gallery's Venice page
Why the work still travels
Raad's practice moves between installation, photography, video and performance. The recurring engine is the archive, but he treats it as a field for fiction, doubt and institutional critique rather than simple documentation.
That method explains why the same projects keep resurfacing in new contexts. The Atlas Group (1989-2004), Scratching on Things I Could Disavow and Sweet Talk: Beirut (Commissions) remain the core reference points in the artist's recent presentations.
More news and background on Walid Raad
Track exhibition updates, institutional shows and critical context for Walid Raad in one place.
How Raad works
Raad is a Lebanese-American artist whose work often builds from invented documents, staged narratives and institutional forms. That mix places him near conceptual art and archival practice, but his images and texts resist neat categories.
The Venice selection fits that broader method. It also matches the way his exhibitions often read like constructed environments, not isolated objects.
Where Walid Raad stands now
Walid Raad is currently on view in Venice, where the biennial presentation runs through November 22, 2026.
Walid Raad at a glance
- Artist: Walid Raad
- Medium / Genre: Installation, photography, video, performance
- Born: 1967, Chbanieh, Lebanon
- Place(s) of practice: New York and Beirut
- Active since: 1980s
- Key work groups: The Atlas Group, Scratching on Things I Could Disavow, Sweet Talk: Beirut (Commissions)
- Current/last exhibition: In Minor Keys at the 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, Giardini and Arsenale, May 8-November 22, 2026
- Major collections: MoMA (New York), Tate (London), Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (New York)
- Next date: November 22, 2026, Venice
Frequently asked questions about Walid Raad
Where is Walid Raad currently on view?
His work is on view at the 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, with the presentation running through November 22, 2026.
What is the current Walid Raad peg?
The live peg is his Venice biennial participation, documented by Paula Cooper Gallery with works shown at the Giardini and the Arsenale.
Which work groups define Walid Raad's practice?
The Atlas Group, Scratching on Things I Could Disavow and Sweet Talk: Beirut (Commissions) remain the key recurring bodies of work.
This article was produced with a.i. support and editorially reviewed. All statements without guarantee; auction results, exhibition dates and awards may change at short notice.
