Will the main exhibition In Minor Keys, conceived by the late Koyo Kouoh, rise to the moment or shy away from it? We will have to wait and see.And see we will, as I will be reporting to you from the biennale with our editor-at-large, Hrag Vartanian, and other colleagues. Meanwhile, enjoy Hrag’s spirited roundup of the major exhibitions and events taking place in Venice in May and beyond.

Also, don’t miss his online conversation with artist Jeremy Frey on April 29 (3–4pm ET). The event is free for Hyperallergic members. If you’re not a member yet, and can afford a few bucks a month, please join in to support our work as a truly independent art publication.Enjoy other must-reads in this edition, including a studio visit with the inimitable Joan Semmel, who’s still kicking ass at age 93; Lebanese artist Tania El Khoury speaking about her “revenge art” from bombarded Beirut; Ed Simon’s musings about Hans Holbein, and much more.

Thanks for reading and enjoy your weekend.—Hakim Bishara, editor-in-chief Sculptures by Manolo Valdés in Piazza San Marco (photo Hrag Vartanian/Hyperallergic)Hyperallergic’s Guide to the 2026 Venice BiennaleHere’s what to see and do at this year’s edition, including national pavilions, collateral exhibitions, and notable events. | Hrag Vartanian SPONSORED Rising Up: Rocky and the Making of MonumentsFeaturing works from antiquity to today, the exhibition at the Philadelphia Museum of Art explores the Rocky statue and its impact on the city’s culture, community, and public art. Learn more NewsBarbara Chase-Riboud (photo Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)Artist Barbara Chase-Riboud speaks about her decision not to represent the US at the 61st Venice Biennale, noting that now is “not the moment.” A heart-wrenching image of a tearful family torn apart by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) wins the 2026 World Press Photo Award’s top prize.A historic $116M gift to the National Gallery of Art (NGA) will endow a new artwork lending program.

Satellite imagery confirms that Azerbaijan destroyed the Armenian Holy Mother of God Church in Artsakh’s former capital city of Stepanakert.A high-speed passenger line in Mexico will be diverted after archaeologists discovered 16 pre-Hispanic drawings and petroglyphs along the planned route.Beloved abstract painter and Argentine art legend Ides Kihlen dies at 108. From Our CriticsJean-Léon Gérôme, “Pygmalion and Galatea” (1890–92), (photo Zoe Guy/Hyperallergic)A Blockbuster Take on Ovid’s “Metamorphosis”The Rijksmuseum exhibition raises questions about gender, sexuality, and transformation that it is not prepared to answer. | Zoe GuyHans Holbein Painted the HumanHe surpassed all of his colleagues in the sheer depth, visceral intimacy, and empathy conveyed in his renderings of nobles, aristocrats, and thinkers. | Ed SimonJule Korneffel Finds Meaning at the End of LightHer paintings compress Roman mythology, Italian Renaissance paintings, color relationships, and that moment before disappearance.| John YauTale of a Riderless HorseWhen George Stubbs paints a horse, it comes alive. | Michael GloverLeonardo Madriz’s Monuments to the Precarity of NowHis sculptures are a striking metaphor for the fragile equilibrium of American life. | Jonah Goldman Kay SPONSORED Jeremy Frey: The Generational Impact of a New Artistic PathJoin us this coming Wednesday, April 29, for a conversation with artist and recent MacArthur Fellowship winner Jeremy Frey and Hyperallergic Editor-at-Large Hrag Vartanian.

Learn more InterviewJoan Semmel in her Spring Street studio in 2026 (photo Hrag Vartanian/Hyperallergic)Joan Semmel Is Doing Her Best Work at 93“You say, ‘Fuck you. I’m good and you’re wrong,’” she told Hyperallergic. “This is who I am, this is what I do, and this is what I care about.”| Aaron ShortTania El Khoury’s Soothing “Revenge Art”The Lebanese artist and Bard College professor spoke with Hyperallergic about her recent projects and precarious life under bombardment in Beirut. | Hadley SuterOpinionTCS’s dance performance commissioned in response to For Your Eyes Only by Yasmine Nasser DiazThe Future of Museums Is a Dance FloorThe rave offers a temporary homeland, a space where belonging is felt rather than declared. | Naz CuguoğluDismantling Orbán’s 16-Year Grip on Hungary’s Art WorldAs a Hungarian curator living in the United States, I cannot help but see my country as both a cautionary tale and a source of hope for artistic freedom. | Veronika MolnarCommunityFinalist for the World Press photo of the year showing Palestinians climbing aboard an aid truck in the Gaza Strip. (photo Saber Nuraldin, EPA Images/World Press Photo 2026)Required ReadingThis week, a museum as a site of motherhood, the amazing and terrib