Wangechi Mutu takes Venice with The SeasSpirit
Published on 08/25/2026 at 11:19 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Wangechi Mutu anchors Venice this summer with The SeasSpirit. Victoria Miro says the show of new collage-paintings runs July 18 to August 29, 2026, while La Biennale di Venezia presents her installation The End, Where All began, EdEN in the same city.Victoria Miro exhibition page
Venice and the water works
The SeasSpirit returns Mutu to water, a motif she has used as myth and ecosystem. The gallery describes the new body of work as a cast of feminine water spirits, with works including Mamamadonna, ConstellationHer, Pairing and Mamawatoto.
The Biennale page adds another layer. In The End, Where All began, EdEN, Mutu brings together the animated film Mumbi wa Mumbi, the kinetic work Sweeper, the sculptural mound MothersMound and the bronze SimbiSiren.
The 2026 Venice spread
Victoria Miro lists the Venice exhibition as a solo show, not a broad retrospective. That matters because Mutu's 2026 presence is split between a commercial gallery presentation and a major biennial commission, a format that keeps the work visible in both market and institutional settings.
The dates are compact and concrete. The gallery show runs July 18 to August 29, 2026, and the Biennale page identifies her as part of the 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia.
More news and background on Wangechi Mutu
See recent coverage, exhibition notes and collection references on the artist in one place.
How Mutu works now
Mutu was born in Nairobi in 1972 and works in New York and Nairobi, according to Victoria Miro. Her practice moves across collage, sculpture, installation and film, and returns often to mythmaking, hybridity and the female body.
That breadth explains why Venice suits her so well. The gallery notes that her work combines fact and fiction to build symbolic female figures, while the museum and biennial context emphasize ecology, ancestry and transformation.
Where the artist stands now
Wangechi Mutu currently has a Venice solo presentation running through August 29, 2026, and her Biennale installation is listed for the 61st International Art Exhibition in Venice.
Wangechi Mutu at a glance
- Artist: Wangechi Mutu
- Medium / Genre: Mixed media, collage, sculpture, installation, film
- Born: 1972, Nairobi, Kenya
- Place(s) of practice: New York and Nairobi
- Active since: 1990s
- Key work groups: The SeasSpirit, The End, Where All began, EdEN, Intertwined, Black Soil Poems
- Current/last exhibition: The SeasSpirit, Victoria Miro, Venice, July 18-August 29, 2026
- Major collections: Brooklyn Museum, New York; Guggenheim, New York; The Met, New York; Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; Tate, London
- Awards: Apollo Artist of the Year (2023); Zeitz MOCAA Honorary Award for Artistic Excellence (2024)
- Next date: August 29, 2026, Victoria Miro, Venice
Frequently asked questions about Wangechi Mutu
Where is Wangechi Mutu currently on view?
She is on view in Venice with The SeasSpirit at Victoria Miro through August 29, 2026. La Biennale di Venezia also lists her in the 61st International Art Exhibition.
What is the current Venice peg for Wangechi Mutu?
The immediate peg is the gallery show The SeasSpirit, opened July 18, 2026 in Venice. The Biennale installation The End, Where All began, EdEN provides the institutional counterpart.
Which collections hold Wangechi Mutu's work?
Victoria Miro lists major holdings at Brooklyn Museum, the Guggenheim, The Met, the Whitney and Tate. Those are among the most visible public collection anchors for her practice.
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.
