IBA Newsletter: April 2026

Dear Subscriber,

With the second quarter of 2026 officially underway, those of us at the International Biennial Association (IBA) are pleased to bring you a new series of events, vital updates regarding our future programming, and even more biennials to look forward to.

Introducing: IBA Academy

IBA Academy will serve as an ongoing knowledge platform, supporting biennial research and connecting academic and practical perspectives on biennial making.

The format will be structured around topic-specific modules formed of multiple sessions in a concentrated timeframe to allow participants to focus on a specific subject.

IBA Stage: 15th Shanghai Biennale

We are also happy to share that this month’s session of IBA Stage will feature the 15th Shanghai Biennale with Curators Kitty Scott and Daisy Desrosiers and will take place on April 22nd at 11:00 AM (EST/GMT-4). For those who cannot attend live, recordings of past sessions may be viewed on our website.

Registration links for all events may be found below under ‘IBA Events’.

Update: 13th General Assembly Dates

As an update regarding the upcoming 13th General Assembly in Sydney, please note that the dates have been adjusted to take place between June 9-14, 2026. This change was made to ensure that all attendees could have the time and opportunity to explore as much of the 25th Biennale of Sydney as possible. You may find practical information about Sydney and recommendations for accommodations on our website. Those interested in attending are requested to confirm their Expression of Interest.

Update: Call to Host the 14th General Assembly

We would also like to share that the deadline for our call for proposals to host the 14th IBA General Assembly in 2027 has been pushed to 30 April 2026. Those interested in submitting a proposal are encouraged to get in touch with us with their expression of interest. Details and requirements for the submission may be found here.

If you have a biennial scheduled for this year that has not been listed below, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us via email at info@biennialassociation.org to be included in our future newsletters.

For more news, you can follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

 

IBA EVENTS

IBA Academy
First Session – Learning
April 9, 2026
4:00 PM (CEST/GMT+2)
RSVP

IBA Academy
Second Session – Remembering
April 14, 2026
9:30 AM (CEST/GMT+2)
RSVP

IBA Academy
Third Session – Exchanging
April 15, 2026
4:00 PM (CEST/GMT+2)
RSVP

IBA Stage: 15th Shanghai Biennale
April 22, 2026
11:00 AM (EST/GMT-4)
RSVP

IBA 13th General Assembly
in partnership with the
Biennale of Sydney during the
25th Biennale of Sydney
Sydney, Australia
June 10-14, 2026
RSVP

 

ONGOING MEMBER BIENNIALS
The following biennials are currently open.

Manif d’art 12
Canada
Now through April 19, 2026

25th Biennale of Sydney
Australia
Now through June 14, 2026

 

UPCOMING MEMBER BIENNIALS
The member biennials listed below will open in the foreseeable future.

8th Contemporary Native Art Biennial (BACA)
Canada
April 18, 2026 – June 21, 2026

7th Mardin Biennial
Turkey
May 15, 2026 – June 21, 2026

Le Nouveau Printemps 2026
France
May 29, 2026 – June 28, 2026

Biennale Gherdëina 10
Italy
May 31, 2026 – September 13, 2026

Glasgow International 2026
Scotland
June 5, 2026 – June 21, 2026

Biennale of Contemporary Keramics 2026
Greece
June 5, 2026 – October 31, 2026

Manifesta 16 Ruhr
Germany
June 21, 2026 – October 4, 2026

4th International Triennial of Graphic Arts in Livno
Bosnia and Herzegovina
June 26, 2026 – November 1, 2026

2026 Bermuda Biennial
Bermuda
June 2026 – January 2027

Contour 11
Belgium
September 4, 2026 – November 1, 2026

16th Gwangju Biennale
South Korea
September 5, 2026 – November 15, 2026

Counterpublic 2026
United States
September 12, 2026 – December 12, 2026

18th Lyon Biennale
France
September 19, 2026 – December 13, 2026

Toronto Biennial of Art 2026
Canada
September 26, 2026 – December 20, 2026

Lagos Biennial 2026
Nigeria
October 17, 2026 – December 18, 2026

Sharjah Calligraphy Biennial 2026
United Arab Emirates
October 2026

16th Dakar Biennale
Senegal
November 19, 2026 – December 19, 2026

Sharjah Architecture Triennial 2026
United Arab Emirates
November 2026 – March 2027

Karachi Biennale (KB27)
Pakistan
January 16, 2027 – January 31, 2027

Lahore Biennale 04
Pakistan
January 2027

9th Yokohama Triennale
Japan
April 23, 2027 – September 12, 2027

Bruges Triennial 2027
Belgium
April 27, 2027 – September 5, 2027

2027 Lofoten International Art Festival
Norway
May 28, 2027 – June 27, 2027

Liverpool Biennial 2027
England
June 5, 2027 – September 12, 2027

documenta 16
Germany
June 12, 2027 – September 19, 2027

SACO1.3 Biennial of Contemporary Art
Chile
June 24, 2027 – September 14, 2027

6th Autostrada Biennale
Kosovo
July 2027 – September 2027

XVI Florence Biennale
Italy
October 23, 2027 – October 31, 2027

 

NON-MEMBER BIENNIALS
Explore other biennials from around the world below.

2nd Hengshan Calligraphy Biennale
Taiwan
Now through April 13, 2026

Thailand Biennale Phuket 2025
Thailand
Now through April 30, 2026

Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale 2026
Saudi Arabia
Now through May 2, 2026

Malta Biennale 2026
Malta
Now through May 29, 2026

Whitney Biennial 2026
United States
Now through August 23, 2026

Klima Biennale Wien 2026
Austria
April 9, 2026 – May 10, 2026

Anozero ’26 – Coimbra Biennial of Contemporary Art
Portugal
April 11, 2026 – July 5, 2026

59th Carnegie International
United States
May 2, 2026 – January 3, 2027

61st Venice Biennale
Italy
May 9, 2026 – November 22, 2026

9th Thessaloniki Biennale of Contemporary Art
Greece
May 23, 2026 – July 5, 2026

Medina Triennial 2026
United States
June 6, 2026 – September 7, 2026

Biennale Matter of Art 2026
Czech Republic
June 12, 2026 – September 13, 2026

 

MEMBER NEWS

Do you have exciting news or upcoming events that you would like to share?

To get your news in the monthly newsletter, please submit it to the IBA Office via email no later than the 20th of each month, with the subject line “Next Newsletter”, for it to appear in the next newsletter. To post your news on our website, either log in to the Interactive Space and create your own post, or send us an email and we’ll take care of it.

 

BECOME AN IBA MEMBER TODAY!

The International Biennial Association (IBA) provides a platform for establishing, researching and exchanging ideas and knowledge between professionals and institutions concerned with contemporary art that play pivotal roles in the biennial practice and its discourse.

While engagement with professionals in the global biennial community is the primary membership benefit, other benefits include invitations to all IBA events and conferences, copies of all publications as well as a membership card, which grants access to member biennials and triennials participating in our Free Admission Program.

To support our mission, become a member or make a donation today.

 

From all of us at IBA,
Have a great month!