History looms large at the 2026 Venice Biennale, where the official curatorial framework – focused on contemplative, alternative voices from the “Global South” – has inspired many artists to draw from, come to terms with, and reveal personal perspectives within history.
This is strongly reflected in a number of memorable exhibitions by artists of Asian heritage. While sidestepping cultural essentialism, these practitioners focus on sidelined perspectives and offer fresh ways of thinking amid global crises.
The scope of these exhibitions is vast, ranging from a queer father using dolls to articulate the profound psychological shifts of raising twins, to a 75-year-old woman contemplating the existential realities of ageing, mortality and rest.
