AURORA BIENNIAL 2026 THEME
Under the title States of Becoming, AURORA Biennial 2026 responds to a time of uncertainty and profound transformation—from the climate crisis and the rise of AI to the erosion of democratic norms. Nowadays, the stories we tell to make sense of the world are shifting; myths about who we are, how we live together, and what it means to be human are being rewritten.
Curated by Julia Kaganskiy and Tairone Bastien, States of Becoming brings together regional, national, and international artists who engage with technology to revive old stories and share new ones about this moment of ecological urgency, technological disruption, and social transformation. Through site-responsive installations, performances, new commissions, and community-engaged projects, the Biennial will explore the transformations taking place around us and reflect on the experience of living through change.
Curated by Julia Kaganskiy and Tairone Bastien, States of Becoming brings together regional, national, and international artists who engage with technology to revive old stories and share new ones about this moment of ecological urgency, technological disruption, and social transformation. Through site-responsive installations, performances, new commissions, and community-engaged projects, the Biennial will explore the transformations taking place around us and reflect on the experience of living through change.
"Many of us feel the world is changing faster than we can make sense of it. Artists are often the first to turn that uncertainty into something we can see and feel. AURORA brings that work directly into the life of the city, giving people the chance to encounter art that grapples with the forces shaping our lives and to experience it collectively rather than alone," said Bastien.
"Dallas is in its own state of becoming—City Hall faces an uncertain future, the Discovery District is on the verge of major change, and the city is constantly remaking itself. In moments like this, an event such as the AURORA Biennial can offer an important site for collective imagination, where people can sit with uncertainty together and find something generative in it,” said Kaganskiy.
Click here for more information about the Biennial. Additional details will be announced soon.
"Dallas is in its own state of becoming—City Hall faces an uncertain future, the Discovery District is on the verge of major change, and the city is constantly remaking itself. In moments like this, an event such as the AURORA Biennial can offer an important site for collective imagination, where people can sit with uncertainty together and find something generative in it,” said Kaganskiy.
Click here for more information about the Biennial. Additional details will be announced soon.