Aurora Biennial

November 1-21, 2026

AURORA BIENNIAL PROGRAM & EVENTS
November 1-20
Locations: Multiple sites across Dallas (announced soon)

AURORA BIENNIAL EXHIBITION
November 21; 7pm-1am
Locations: Dallas City Hall, J. Erik Jonsson Central Library, AT&T Discovery District

For the first time, the AURORA Biennial will unfold over three weeks, from November 1–21, activating Dallas with exhibitions, performances, talks, and artist-led experiences before culminating in a free, citywide outdoor exhibition on November 21 at Dallas City Hall, the J. Erik Jonsson Central Library, and the AT&T Discovery District. This expansion marks the next chapter in the Biennial's evolution as a signature cultural event, bringing contemporary art into public spaces where transformative experiences are accessible to everyone.

Led by internationally acclaimed curators Julia Kaganskiy and Tairone Bastien, the seventh AURORA Biennial, States of Becoming, brings together regional, national, and international artists whose work explores a world shaped by technological change, environmental urgency, and shifting ideas about what it means to be human.

Through ambitious new commissions, performances, and site-responsive installations, States of Becoming transforms the city into a shared canvas, creating transformative public experiences that spark curiosity, deepen connection, and expand how we see ourselves, each other, and the future.

See the full AURORA Biennial 2026 theme here.

Stay tuned for plenty of upcoming AURORA Biennial 2026 events by subscribing to our newsletter and following us on Instagram, Facebook, X, and LinkedIn.

Video: AURORA Biennial 2024 by Paperlyte Films

AURORA Biennial 2024: Rafael Lozano-Hemmer: Thermal Drift; Mariachi Rosas Divinas; Alejandro Almanza Pereda / Radio Community Choir; Diana Rojas: Query; Jess Garland: Behind the Strings; Photos by Can Turkyilmaz and Kelly McNett

AURORA Biennial 2026 Curators

Julia Kaganskiy is a New York City-based curator and cultural strategist working across art, science, and technology. A leading voice in the field, she helped launch several groundbreaking programs, including NEW INC (New Museum) and The Creators Project (VICE/Intel). Most recently, she served as Curator-at-Large at LAS Art Foundation in Berlin. As an independent curator, she has worked with Barbican Centre (London), Eyebeam Center for Art & Technology (New York City), House of Electronic Arts (Basel), and many others.

Tairone Bastien is a Toronto-based curator, writer, and educator. He co-curated the first two editions of the Toronto Biennial of Art. As a curator at Performa in New York City, he co-organized the first three editions of the biennial dedicated to live performance art. His current research focuses on public art in the Global South. Previously, he established Alserkal Avenue’s art program and the Alserkal Residency (Dubai), and curated projects with Delfina Foundation (London), Art Dubai, Dhaka Art Summit, and Samdani Art Foundation (Dhaka).

AURORA Biennial 2026 is supported by:

Eugene McDermott Foundation, M.R. and Evelyn Hudson Foundation, City of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture, Theodore and Beulah Beasley Foundation, J. Erik Jonsson Fund, National Endowment for the Arts, Downtown Dallas Inc., Bowdon Family Foundation

AURORA Biennial 2026 Co-Curators Julia Kaganskiy and Tairone Bastien; Photo by Justin Clemons

ABOUT THE AURORA BIENNIAL

The AURORA Biennial is the signature exhibition of AURORA, a year-round cultural organization shaping how Dallas experiences art, technology, and community. Rooted in the belief that contemporary art belongs to everyone, the Biennial expands access by bringing transformative artistic experiences into public spaces, where they are free and accessible to all.

Anchored by the iconic I.M. Pei–designed Dallas City Hall, each edition commissions artists to create ambitious installations, performances, and new works that transform the city into a shared canvas, inviting audiences to experience Dallas in new and unexpected ways.

Since 2010, the AURORA Biennial has commissioned and presented the work of more than 300 artists and welcomed over 207,000 visitors, demonstrating the power of free public art to spark curiosity, foster connection, and shape the cultural future of Dallas.

Browse through our past AURORA Biennial events below!