From left: Stefanie Hessler, Nora Khan, Jordan Carter, Wanda Nanibush, and Raphael Fonseca. Photography by Justin Mikhail Solomon/NEU ER World. Courtesy of Counterpublic.
The Mississippi Riverfront in St. Louis, Missouri. Photo: Izaiah Johnson. Courtesy of Counterpublic. © Counterpublic.
Counterpublic Triennial 2026 Announces Third Edition: Coyote Time
September 12 – December 12, 2026
St. Louis, Missouri, USA
counterpublic.org
The third edition of Counterpublic Triennial will take place from September 12 to December 12, 2026, bringing together 50 contemporary artists across key sites in St. Louis, Missouri. Titled Coyote Time, the exhibition will present a series of new commissions alongside historical reinterpretations, continuing the Triennial’s commitment to exploring the role of art in public life and its capacity to generate lasting civic and cultural change.
Collectively curated by Jordan Carter, Raphael Fonseca, Stefanie Hessler, Nora N. Khan, and Wanda Nanibush, the 2026 edition builds on Counterpublic’s mission to connect artistic practice with urgent social questions and long-term community engagement.
The title Coyote Time takes inspiration from artist Alice Bucknell’s commission for the 2026 Triennial, referencing a moment familiar to video game players: the instant when a character leaps off a cliff and briefly remains suspended in midair before gravity takes hold. This moment of suspension, poised between certainty and the unknown, serves as a guiding metaphor for the exhibition, suggesting uncertainty not as paralysis but as a space for experimentation, risk, and possibility.
Set against a backdrop of global political and social upheaval, the Triennial will present new artist commissions, public programs, and civic initiatives addressing pressing issues including climate change, education, and immigration. By activating historic locations across the city alongside cultural institutions and community spaces, the exhibition invites audiences to inhabit this state of Coyote Time, to take the leap into uncertain terrain with intention and collective imagination.
The curators describe the project as an invitation to rethink the possibilities of art in the public sphere:
“Counterpublic invites us to take a leap, to reimagine what public art can do, to build while in motion. We aim to contribute to building material and cultural infrastructures for lasting change, while fostering critical conversations and furthering investment in supporting ambitious and experimental artists.”
Accompanying the exhibition, Inventory Press will publish the official Counterpublic 2026 catalogue, released to coincide with the opening of the Triennial. The full-color publication will include contributions from artists, writers, and curators engaged in the project. In the months leading up to the opening, a series of public events will take place in St. Louis, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, and other cities, expanding the conversation around the Triennial and connecting audiences across multiple contexts.
About Counterpublic
Founded as a nonprofit organization in 2021, Counterpublic is a triennial exhibition dedicated to reimagining the role of art in public life. Based in St. Louis, the project brings together artists, cultural institutions, civic stakeholders, and communities to create artworks and initiatives that respond directly to the region’s histories and contemporary challenges. Working across public spaces, historic sites, cultural institutions, and community gathering places, Counterpublic commissions artists to develop projects that engage with local contexts while contributing to broader conversations about art’s role in shaping civic life. In addition to exhibitions and public programming, the organization supports long-term initiatives designed to extend beyond the three-month exhibition period.
Today, Counterpublic stands as one of the largest public art exhibitions in the United States, positioning St. Louis as a reference for artistic production and collaborative cultural-civic production.
Further details on participating artists and programming for Coyote Time will be announced in the coming months.
