There are only a few more weeks to catch the Whitney Biennial, the museum’s expansive survey of contemporary American art first launched in 1932. Its curators—Marcela Guerrero and Drew Sawyer—are the first to admit a propensity for the venerable institution to lean on the phrase “unprecedented times.” But it kinda feels that way, right?
“There is more than one way to measure how a Biennial meets its fraught moment,” writes the museum’s director, Scott Rothkopf. This edition includes 56 artists, duos, and collectives exploring a broad range of themes that, in one way or another, ping back to our collective fragility.
“To say we are living in the end of times is not a revelation but rather a mundane description of the thin slice of history we—along with all other living creatures—currently occupy,” writes Guerrero.
Amid this hazy (and somewhat depressing) observation, one artist in particular presents a unique resilience that speaks to the ghosts of our past, the battle scars earned, and a counterculture joy that refuses to dissipate.
Counterculture takes center stage
Self-described “pre-Stonewall street queen” Agosto Machado died on March 21, 2026, mere weeks after the biennial’s opening, which features six of his works. But what he leaves behind illuminates decades of queer creativity and expression.
Orphaned at an early age, little is known about the artist’s childhood. Even his name is said to be inspired by model China Machado, who appeared in Harper’s Bazaar in the late 50s. He ran in creative circles that ranged from Warhol to photographer Peter Hujar, and participated in the post-Stonewall Gay Liberation Movement.
Those experiences inform his works on display at the Whitney Biennial, including my favorite piece of the entire exhibition, “Downtown (Altar).” Created in 2024, the shrine pays tribute to the Theater of the Ridiculous, fellow artists Arch Connelly, Thomas Lanigan-Schmidt, and Gilda Pervin, and includes a plethora of bric-a-brac from a Friends of Merce Cunningham matchbook to subway tokens.
The sculptural time capsule, which also features buttons showcasing Keith Haring’s iconic “Radiant Baby” and the AIDS ribbon, reminds us that “fraught” is relative. Art will always stand at the precipice and dare its viewer to look over the edge.
It wants better content.
Fast facts: Whitney Biennial 2026
Agosto Machado’s shrines may be the emotional center of the show, but the Whitney Biennial 2026 surrounds them with a formidable lineup.
- Whitney Museum of American Art, 99 Gansevoort Street, New York City
- Notable artists: Agosto Machado, Precious Okoyomon, Samia Halaby, Andrea Fraser, and Sung Tieu, among 56 artists, duos, and collectives
- On display through August 23, 2026
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