Titled Things Fall Apart, the 2026 Biennial is shaped by Curator Allison Glenn’s research-driven and site-responsive approach. The fourth edition will centre on artists whose practices engage rupture as a generative force, reconsidering histories, geographies, and systems that shape contemporary life while proposing new ways of understanding the present. For the first time, the Biennial will extend beyond the Greater Toronto Area through a series of artist projects and institutional collaborations across North America.
Things Fall Apart draws upon the enduring resonance of the eponymous phrase across literature, music, and cultural discourse as a way of marking periods of political and social transformation. From Chinua Achebe’s landmark 1958 novel—whose title originates from W.B. Yeats’s 1921 poem The Second Coming—to its rearticulation in The Roots’ fourth studio album, the phrase signals fractured moments that reverberate across time and geographies.
Read more about the Curatorial Theme in our most recent Press Release.
2026 Artists Announced
We are pleased to share our incredible list of artists for our 2026 edition.
TBA 2026 will host over 30 artists and collectives from across the globe. These practitioners, hailing from Canada, the SWANA region, the Caribbean, South America, and beyond.
Venues
Discover where the 2026 Biennial will unfold.
Our 2026 site map transforms the city into a living gallery. With the Art Museum at the University of Toronto serving as our main exhibition site partner, the Biennial will additionally unfold across:
- Iconic Landmarks
- Public Pulses
- Intimate Galleries
- Community Anchors
2026 Partnership with the Art Museum
We are excited to announce a new partnership with the Art Museum at the University of Toronto for the Biennial’s 2026 edition. This collaboration will be presented across the Art Museum’s spaces – the University of Toronto’s Art Centre and the Justina M. Barnicke Gallery – which will collectively serve as TBA’s main exhibition hub, and public programming and learning space. TBA and the Art Museum will explore additional joint initiatives for the 2026 Biennial to deeply engage the University of Toronto’s dynamic student base and broader community.
To further support this collaboration, we are also happy to share that the Art Museum’s Executive Director and Chief Curator, Barbara Fischer, has joined TBA’s new National Curatorial Advisory. The committee’s insights will inform the Biennial’s exhibition and support the growth of Canadian contemporary visual artists on an international stage.
Professional Preview Days: September 24-25
Are you an arts professional? Be the first to experience the 2026 Biennial and sign up for our Professional Preview Days September 24-25, 2026.
Canada’s leading international visual arts event has attracted over 1.3 million visitors since its launch in 2019. Over its three editions, TBA has built a legacy of free, inclusive, and accessible contemporary art exhibitions and programming in Toronto and its surrounding areas. Grounded in diverse local contexts, TBA offers expanded understandings of contemporary art practices, while bridging communities, and contributing to global conversations. Each Biennial connects people to spark meaningful dialogues and imagine new futures.
Follow along on Instagram or through our Newsletter as we go behind the scenes in the lead-up to the 2026 Biennial, and stay tuned for the full artists list coming this spring.