Programs Calendar – Toronto Biennial of Art

October 24

Curatorial Encounters

TBA's Curatorial Encounters series invites all members of the arts community and the general public to meet the Biennial exhibition curator in advance of the next Biennial. This event is co-presented with the Art Museum at the University of Toronto, the main site of TBA 2026, and invites Curator Allison Glenn to share her practice, stories, and experiences curating international public art, biennials/triennials, and exhibitions. She will be joined by three members of TBA’s National Curatorial Advisory.

3:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Community Gathering

Family Friendly

Talk

April 15

Curatorial Encounter & Artist List Announcement

TBA's Curatorial Encounters series invites all members of the arts community and the general public to meet the Biennial exhibition curator in advance of the next Biennial. This event is co-presented with the Art Museum at the University of Toronto, the main site of TBA 2026, and invites Curator Allison Glenn to share her practice, stories, and experiences curating international public art, biennials/triennials, and exhibitions. She will be joined by three members of TBA’s National Curatorial Advisory.

10:00 AM – 11:30 AM

Community Gathering

Talk

Tickets Required

June 3

Book Launch: Every Monument Will Fall by Dan Hicks

Join us for the Toronto launch of the paperback edition of Every Monument Will Fall: A Story of Remembering and Forgetting by world-renowned archaeologist Dan Hicks. The book was named one of ArtForum’s Books of 2025. Dan will be joined in conversation by TBA’s own Ilana Shamoon for an insightful evening.

7:00 PM – 8:30 PM

Community Gathering

Talk

Tickets Required

June 5

Sameer Farooq and Dan Hicks: Restitution and Reimagining Collections

Join us for our upcoming talk Restitution and Reimagining Collections with TBA 2024 alumni artist Sameer Farooq and world-renowned archaeologist Dan Hicks in conversation, moderated by ROM Curator of Global Africa Tandazani Dhlakama.

7:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Community Gathering

Talk

Tickets Required

July 24

Dawoud Bey in Conversation with Allison Glenn

American artist Dawoud Bey joins Toronto Biennial of Art curator Allison Glenn in AGO’s Baillie Court to mark the opening of the new exhibition, Dawoud Bey: Material Histories, Living Landscapes. AGO Curator Julie Crooks will moderate. Featuring a film and 23 photographs, in dialogue with four African sculptures from the AGO Collection, Bey worked with […]

7:00 PM – 8:30 PM

Talk

Art Gallery of Ontario

Tickets Required

September 25

Opening Party 2026

Join us for Toronto Biennial of Art's Opening Party on Friday, September 25th, 2026!

7:00 PM – 11:00 PM

Community Gathering

Tickets Required

September 26

Opening Weekend Performance: Gichigami by Rebecca Belmore

Artist Rebecca Belmore will open her new commission, Gichigami, with a performance that moves from Queens Park to the Art Museum at the University of Toronto.

12:00 PM – 12:30 PM

Installation

Performance

Walk

Queen Victoria Statue

September 26

Konvwa libèté

Artist Raphaël Barontini brings a celebratory, carnival-style street parade to the University of Toronto campus, celebrating contemporary Caribbean traditions of emancipation.

1:30 PM – 2:30 PM

Community Gathering

Family Friendly

Performance

Walk

Hart House

Tickets Required

September 26

Gallery TPW Opening

Join us to celebrate the opening of Things Fall Apart at Gallery TPW, featuring the works of Nani Chacon, Regina de Miguel, and Skawennati.

2:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Community Gathering

Family Friendly

Gallery TPW

September 27

In Dialogue: Speculative Futures

Join TBA Curator Allison Glenn for a moderated discussion with Biennial artists where they will dive into notions of time, science fiction, Indigenous epistemologies, and speculative futures.

10:30 AM – 12:00 PM

Talk

Harbourfront Centre

Tickets Required

September 27

The Calls (Toronto)

The immersive sound performance, The Calls (Toronto) by Brendan Fernandes, invites audiences to board a tall ship and sail around the harbour.

12:00 PM

Installation

Performance

The Tall Ship Kajama

Tickets Required

September 30, October 1, October 2, October 3

Drop-In Art Club

Inspired by themes within artist Nirbhai (nep) Singh Sidhu’s installation, this creative experience for children helps them build a resilient mind through thoughtful making.

1:00 PM – 4:30 PM

Community Gathering

Education

Family Friendly

Workshop

Campbell House Museum

October 2, October 3, October 4

The Biennial Express - Limited Bus Tour

A dedicated bus tour connecting Nirbhai (nep) Singh Sidhu’s work across three distinct architectural, historical, and cultural sites in Toronto.

12:30 PM

Community Gathering

Education

Installation and Programming

Workshop

Campbell House Museum

Tickets Required

October 2, October 3, October 4

The Biennial Express - Limited Bus Tour

A dedicated bus tour connecting Nirbhai (nep) Singh Sidhu’s work across three distinct architectural, historical, and cultural sites in Toronto.

4:15 PM

Community Gathering

Education

Installation and Programming

Workshop

Campbell House Museum

Tickets Required

October 2

Spotlight Talk: Nirbhai (nep) Singh Sidhu with Deep Kaur Kailey

Join artist Nirbhai (nep) Singh Sidhu and Deep Kaur Kailey for an intimate conversation

6:00 PM – 6:45 PM

Education

Talk

Campbell House Museum

Tickets Required

October 2

Mercer Union Opening Party

Join us for the opening reception of artist Rouzbeh Akhbari's new exhibition, Of Wool and Diesel.

7:00 PM – 10:00 PM

Community Gathering

Mercer Union, a centre for contemporary art

October 3, October 10, October 17, October 24, October 31, November 7, November 14, November 21, November 28, December 5, December 12

Drop-In Public Storytelling Sessions

Local, multidisciplinary Storytellers lead participatory sessions informed by personal insights, practices, and research.

12:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Storytelling

Art Museum at the University of Toronto - University of Toronto Art Centre

October 3

Simran

Experience a focused practice designed to help you steady the mind, build clarity and resilience.

6:00 PM – 7:30 PM

Community Gathering

Workshop

Capsules Artist Resources

Tickets Required

October 16

Convening: An Arrival, A Grounding, A Departure - Day 1

The first day of a three-day Convening centres Indigenous perspectives and practices, featuring a panel discussion between artists Bonnie Devine, Taqralik Partridge, and Rebecca Belmore.

1:00 PM – 6:00 PM

Community Gathering

Education

Talk

Walk

Native Canadian Centre

Tickets Required

October 17

Convening: An Arrival, A Grounding, A Departure - Day 2

The second day of a three-day convening brings attendees together around TBA artist Nirbhai (nep) Singh Sidhu’s permanent commission for conversation, simran, and a shared meal.

1:30 PM – 6:30 PM

Community Gathering

Education

Family Friendly

Performance

Talk

Scarborough Gurdwara

Tickets Required

October 17, November 14, December 12

Deaf View/Image Art (De'VIA) Storytelling with Maryam Hafizirad

Artist and Educator Maryam Hafizirad invites Deaf, hard-of-hearing, and hearing visitors to engage with the artworks through visual storytelling, ASL, gesture, body language, memory, and shared discussion.

2:00 PM

Storytelling

Art Museum at the University of Toronto - University of Toronto Art Centre

October 18

Convening: An Arrival, A Grounding, A Departure - Day 3

The final day of a three-day convening is the culmination of the project, Carnet de Retour/Notebook of Return and invites attendees to participate in conversation and a tasting.

10:00 AM

Community Gathering

Education

Talk

Walk

Toronto Black Farmers and Food Growers Collective Farm, Downsview Park

Tickets Required

October 18, December 20

Drop-In Public Storytelling Sessions - Sunday

Local, multidisciplinary Storytellers lead participatory sessions informed by personal insights, practices, and research.

12:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Storytelling

Art Museum at the University of Toronto - University of Toronto Art Centre

November 5

Artist talk: Nanibah “Nani” Chacon with Allison Glenn

Join Nani and TBA Curator Allison Glenn for a dialogue about Chacon’s practice and her incorporation of Tééhoołtsódii during this moment of intense social, political, and climate catastrophe.