The 2026 Venice Biennale has a lot to see. Don’t miss the art of South Asia.

The Venice Biennale is often called the Olympics of art, not only because it is an international competition, but because navigating Venice during Biennale week requires a surprising degree of athleticism. Everyone is overbooked and rushing from one opening, dinner or pavilion to the next. My step count is never higher than when I’m in Venice.

This year, however, the competitive aspect of the Biennale proved especially tense. Jury resigns amid wider controversies around national eligibility and crimes against humanity, leaving traditional awards effectively sidelined. Without the usual focus on national awards and victories, the atmosphere felt markedly different from previous editions. The tone was more reflective than competitive, more focused on collaboration and collective reckoning than on pageantry or rivalry. The mood felt in tune with the instability of the present moment. However, even without the formal awards machinery, South Asia remained firmly at the center of the conversation.

This year not only marks India’s return to the Biennale after a seven-year absence, but also the broader rise of South Asian artists on the world stage. I’m mainly in Venice to celebrate Rajni Perera, the Canadian-Sri Lankan artist who had her first solo exhibition in the United States at my gallery, Rajiv Menon Contemporary, in Los Angeles last year. Kiran Nadar Art Museum, India’s largest contemporary art museum, features a pavilion dedicated to the iconic Nalini Malani. London-based artist Faiza Butt represents Pakistan with a pavilion that explores the psychic and geographical landscape of an undivided Punjab. Many Indian artists, including Sohrab Hura and Himali Singh Soin, also participate in the central exhibition of the Biennale. In minor keysCurated by the late Koyo Kouoh. Together, these presentations signal a decisive shift: South Asia is no longer peripheral to the global art conversation.

In collaboration with New York photographer Gabriella Talassazan, I documented the many moments of an important week in Venice, both as an art lover and as a witness to South Asia’s growing presence on the global cultural stage.