Walid Raad and the biennial stage after Venice
Published on 08/20/2026 at 16:24 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Walid Raad has become a key voice on the global biennial and performance circuit over the last two decades. His projects move between lecture-performance, installation and photography, while questioning how histories of conflict and art are written and shown.
Biennial presence and recent stages
Walid Raad is currently an invited participant in In Minor Keys, curated by Koyo Kouoh, within the 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, where his work remains on view through November 2026 at the Giardini and Arsenale. His contribution includes Far from quieting (1969-2026) and Postscript to the Arabic Edition, described by Paula Cooper Gallery as combining paintings of Yasser Arafat's beds and an installation of portraits by Middle Eastern artists.
Earlier this month, the performance center PS21 in Chatham, New York, hosted the US premiere of Two Drops per Heartbeat, a performance by Walid Raad that adapts his piece Cotton Under My Feet into a single-space format and stages encounters with museum objects from Madrid's Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, as the institution's event page outlines.
Festival formats and institutional collaborations
Alongside the biennial and performance circuit, Walid Raad's solo exhibition Festival of (In)gratitude at Moderna Galerija in Ljubljana ran from November 21, 2025 to May 17, 2026, presenting works from three major projects: The Atlas Group (1989-2004), Scratching on Things I Could Disavow and Sweet Talk: Beirut (Commissions), according to the museum and e-flux announcement. This survey format underlines how he reworks archival and documentary strategies.
His practice also extends into collaborations with institutions on hybrid exhibition-performance projects, such as the long-running Walkthrough lecture-performance developed with the Museum of Modern Art and presented in various contexts, and site-specific museum interrogations like the project at Kunsthaus Zürich that combines guided tours with performance elements to probe the role of museums in the 21st century.
All news and background on Walid Raad
Further reporting at AD HOC NEWS traces Walid Raad's biennial appearances, museum collaborations and performance tours in Europe, North America and beyond.
How the artist builds his works
Walid Raad works primarily with photography, video, installation and performance to construct layered narratives about conflict, archives and museum infrastructures. His project The Atlas Group (1989-2004) operates as a fictional archive of documents related to the Lebanese wars, while Scratching on Things I Could Disavow examines the emergence of new cultural infrastructures in the Arab world, from museums to art fairs.
Where Walid Raad stands now
Overall, Walid Raad currently maintains a strong presence across biennial, museum and performance platforms, with works on view in Venice until late 2026 and ongoing iterations of his lecture-performances informing how institutions think about art, conflict and future histories.
Walid Raad at a glance
- Artist: Walid Raad
- Medium / Genre: Photography, video, installation and performance (conceptual)
- Born: 1967, Chbanieh, Lebanon
- Place(s) of practice: Studio practice between Beirut and the United States, with frequent work in European institutions.
- Active since: Late 1980s, with The Atlas Group launched around 1989.
- Key work groups: The Atlas Group (1989-2004), Scratching on Things I Could Disavow, Sweet Talk: Beirut (Commissions), lecture-performances such as Walkthrough and Cotton Under My Feet
- Current/last exhibition: Participation in In Minor Keys at the 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, Giardini and Arsenale, May 8-November 22, 2026.
- Major collections: Works held in major museum collections including MoMA (New York) and other international institutions engaged with contemporary art and photography, as noted by museum-organized surveys and collection presentations.
- Awards: Recognition through major institutional surveys and biennial invitations rather than traditional prize structures, including curated participation at the Venice Biennale.
- Next date: Performances and screenings associated with the 61st Venice Biennale and PS21's Two Drops per Heartbeat program continue within the current biennial run and performance season in 2026.
Frequently asked questions about Walid Raad
Where can Walid Raad's work be seen in 2026?
In 2026, Walid Raad's work is on display at the 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia in the Giardini and Arsenale, and has been performed at PS21 in Chatham, New York, among other venues.
What are Walid Raad's most important long-term projects?
Key long-term projects include The Atlas Group (1989-2004), a fictional archive relating to the Lebanese wars, and Scratching on Things I Could Disavow, which investigates new art infrastructures in the Arab world and their geopolitical implications.
How does Walid Raad use performance in his practice?
Walid Raad employs lecture-performances such as Walkthrough, Cotton Under My Feet and its US adaptation Two Drops per Heartbeat to guide audiences through museum spaces and objects, intertwining storytelling, institutional critique and visual documentation.
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.
