Lorna Simpson, major painting survey at Punta della Dogana
Published on 08/26/2026 at 17:52 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Lorna Simpson anchors one of this year’s key painting shows in Venice with the exhibition Third Person. As the Pinault Collection states, Punta della Dogana presents around fifty works from March 29 to November 22, 2026 in partnership with The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York Punta della Dogana exhibition announcement.
The Venice exhibition in detail
The exhibition Lorna Simpson. Third Person at Punta della Dogana focuses on more than a decade of the artist’s painting practice and gathers paintings, collages, sculptures, installations and film works across approximately fifty pieces drawn from the Pinault Collection, international institutions, private collections and Simpson’s own archive Punta della Dogana exhibition announcement.
Curated by Emma Lavigne with the Pinault Collection in partnership with The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Venice iteration reworks the Met’s 2025 presentation Source Notes and includes new works created specifically for Punta della Dogana, extending Simpson’s exploration of how images, memory and weather intersect in painting Met exhibition overview.
Museum presence and collection context
The museum partnership between the Pinault Collection and The Metropolitan Museum of Art underscores how Simpson’s painting has moved into major institutional collections that previously focused on her photographs and text-based installations, with the Met’s exhibition Source Notes serving as the first comprehensive overview of her painting practice Met exhibition overview.
Beyond Venice and New York, Simpson’s works appear in key public collections such as the Brooklyn Museum, which has highlighted series like Gathered and May June July August, ’57/’09, confirming her long-term presence in the museum field as institutions continue to revisit her role in feminist and conceptual art histories.
All news and background on Lorna Simpson
For further reporting on Lorna Simpson’s exhibitions, market results and museum projects, the AD HOC NEWS archive offers regularly updated coverage.
The work core in painting and photography
Lorna Simpson first gained recognition in the late 1980s with staged black-and-white photographic works and text panels that addressed race, gender and representation, and since the mid-2010s she has extended these concerns into large-scale, often blue-toned paintings that rework found imagery and archival photographs.
Where the artist stands now
Lorna Simpson currently maintains an active studio practice in New York and Venice-focused projects while her painting survey Third Person remains on view at Punta della Dogana in 2026.
Key facts on Lorna Simpson
- Artist: Lorna Simpson
- Medium / Genre: Photography and painting (conceptual)
- Born: 1960, New York, United States
- Place(s) of practice: Studio in New York
- Active since: 1980s
- Key work groups: Guarded Conditions, May June July August, ’57/’09, Ice, Special Characters
- Current/last exhibition: Lorna Simpson. Third Person, Punta della Dogana, Venice, March 29 – November 22, 2026
- Major collections: Brooklyn Museum (New York), The Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York), Museum of Modern Art (New York), Tate (London), Centre Pompidou (Paris)
- Awards: Meraki Artist Award 2026 (Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston)
- Next date: currently no announced date in the 30-day window
Frequently asked questions about Lorna Simpson
Where can I see Lorna Simpson’s work in 2026?
In 2026, Lorna Simpson’s major exhibition Third Person is on view at Punta della Dogana in Venice, presented by the Pinault Collection in partnership with The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
What does the exhibition Third Person include?
The exhibition gathers around fifty works, including paintings, collages, sculptures, installations and film pieces, with a focus on more than ten years of Simpson’s painting practice and several new works made specifically for the Venice venue.
How does Lorna Simpson’s painting relate to her earlier photography?
Simpson’s paintings extend her longstanding interest in archives, Black identity and the instability of images, reworking found photographs and printed material into layered, often weather-inflected compositions that echo the conceptual strategies of her 1980s photographic works.
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.
