Lorna Simpson and the exhibition arc from Venice to Basel
Published on 08/31/2026 at 10:28 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Lorna Simpson has become a central reference point for how institutions frame contemporary explorations of image, memory and Black representation. Her current panorama Lorna Simpson. Third Person at Punta della Dogana in Venice extends through November 22, 2026, as the Pinault Collection underscores, and sits alongside a wider European presence with works such as the series Ice highlighted by commentators in Basel.
The major Venice exhibition
At Punta della Dogana, the exhibition Lorna Simpson. Third Person presents around fifty works spanning painting, collage, sculpture, installation and film, focusing on more than a decade of her painting practice, according to the Pinault Collection.
The show, organized in partnership with the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, builds on the Met's 2025 presentation Lorna Simpson: Source Notes, which was the first to consider the entirety of her painting practice and brought together over thirty works from the last ten years.
Exhibition & show arcs in 2026
The Venice exhibition has been described as the most significant presentation of Simpson's work in Europe in more than a decade, with emphasis on series such as Ice, Special Characters and Earth and Sky, alongside new works conceived for Punta della Dogana.
Commentary on the show notes how themes of weather, memory and Black identity unfold in one of Venice's most atmospheric spaces and how Simpson's painting practice connects back to her conceptual photography and investigations into how images are constructed and destabilized.
All news and background on Lorna Simpson
Readers can follow how museums and galleries frame Lorna Simpson's exhibitions, from Venice to New York and beyond, via the latest news and background reports.
The work core in painting and collage
Simpson's painting practice, central to both Venice and the Met's Source Notes, advances her long-standing explorations of gender, race, identity, representation and history, bringing these concerns into layered painted surfaces and hybrid collage fields.
Series such as Ice, often built from reworked photographic material and abstraction, trace climate and bodily presence, while groups like Special Characters and Earth and Sky extend earlier conceptual photography into dense, text-inflected pictorial spaces.
Where the artist stands now
Overall, Lorna Simpson stands in 2026 as a key figure whose painting and collage are being framed by major institutions such as the Pinault Collection and the Metropolitan Museum of Art as defining contributions to contemporary visual culture.
Key facts on Lorna Simpson
- Artist: Lorna Simpson
- Medium / Genre: Photography and mixed media (conceptual; painting and collage)
- Born: 1960, Brooklyn, New York, United States
- Place(s) of practice: Studio in New York
- Active since: 1980s, with early recognition through conceptual photography and installations
- Key work groups: Ice, Special Characters, Earth and Sky, May June July August, '57/'09
- Current/last exhibition: Lorna Simpson. Third Person, Punta della Dogana, Pinault Collection, Venice, March 29, 2026 - November 22, 2026
- Major collections: Museum of Modern Art (New York), Tate (London), Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York), Brooklyn Museum (New York), Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden (Washington, D.C.)
- Awards: Meraki Artist Award announced by the Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston for 2026
- Next date: currently no announced date in the 30-day window
Frequently asked questions about Lorna Simpson
Where can Lorna Simpson's work be seen in Europe in 2026?
In 2026, Lorna Simpson's major exhibition Lorna Simpson. Third Person is on view at Punta della Dogana in Venice, presenting around fifty works across painting, collage, sculpture, installation and film.
Which series by Lorna Simpson feature prominently in recent shows?
Recent commentary highlights series such as Ice, Special Characters and Earth and Sky in the Venice exhibition, linking them to her broader investigations into memory, weather and Black identity.
How have major museums framed Lorna Simpson's painting practice?
The Metropolitan Museum of Art's exhibition Lorna Simpson: Source Notes in 2025 focused on more than thirty paintings from the last ten years and described the show as the first to consider the entirety of her painting 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.
