Whitney Biennial 2019
May 17–Oct 27, 2019
The Whitney Biennial is an unmissable event for anyone interested in finding out what’s happening in art today. Curators Jane Panetta and Rujeko Hockley have been visiting artists over the past year in search of the most important and relevant work. Featuring seventy-five artists and collectives working in painting, sculpture, installation, film and video, photography, performance, and sound, the 2019 Biennial takes the pulse of the contemporary artistic moment. Introduced by the Museum’s founder Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney in 1932, the Biennial is the longest-running exhibition in the country to chart the latest developments in American art.
Read more about the exhibition in a statement by the curators.
En Español
Para la Bienal, nos complace ofrecer los siguientes recursos y programas en español: la guía móvil, visitas guiadas de la exposición los viernes y sábados por la tarde, y visitas guiadas gratuitas para las escuelas públicas y concertadas de la Ciudad de Nueva York. Los textos de pared de la exposición se encuentran disponibles en español en el Museo.
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Eddie Arroyo
Lives in Miami, FL

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Korakrit Arunanondchai
Lives in New York, NY, and Bangkok, Thailand

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Olga Balema
Lives in New York, NY

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Morgan Bassichis
Lives in Brooklyn, NY

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Blitz Bazawule
Lives in New York, NY

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Alexandra Bell
Lives in Brooklyn, NY

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Brian Belott
Lives in Brooklyn, NY

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Meriem Bennani
Lives in Brooklyn, NY

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Robert Bittenbender
Lives in Brooklyn, NY

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Lucas Blalock
Lives in Brooklyn, NY

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Garrett Bradley
Lives in New Orleans, LA

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Milano Chow
Lives in Los Angeles, CA

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Colectivo Los Ingrávidos

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Thirza Cuthand
Lives in Toronto, Ontario

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John Edmonds
Lives in Brooklyn, NY

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Nicole Eisenman
Lives in Brooklyn, NY

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Janiva Ellis
Lives in Brooklyn, NY, and Los Angeles, CA

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Kota Ezawa
Lives in Oakland, CA

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Brendan Fernandes
Lives in Chicago, IL

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FIERCE and Paper Tiger Television
Paper Tiger Television: Founded 1981 in New York, NY

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Marcus Fischer
Lives in Portland, OR

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Forensic Architecture

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Ellie Ga
Lives in Stockholm, Sweden

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Nicholas Galanin
Lives in Sitka, AK

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Sofía Gallisá Muriente
Lives in San Juan, PR

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Jeffrey Gibson
Lives in Germantown, NY

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Todd Gray
Lives in Los Angeles, CA, and Akwidaa, Ghana

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Sam Green
Lives in New York, NY

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Barbara Hammer
Died 2019

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Ilana Harris-Babou
Lives in Williamstown, MA, and Brooklyn, NY

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Matthew Angelo Harrison
Lives in Detroit, MI

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Curran Hatleberg
Lives in Baltimore, MD

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Madeline Hollander
Lives in New York, NY

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Iman Issa
Lives in Berlin, Germany, and New York, NY

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Tomashi Jackson
Lives in New York, NY, and Cambridge, MA

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Steffani Jemison
Lives in Brooklyn, NY

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Adam Khalil, Zack Khalil, and Jackson Polys
Lives in Brooklyn, NY
Zack Khalil: Born 1991 in Newton, MA Lives in Brooklyn, NY
Jackson Polys: Born 1976 in Ketchikan, AK
Lives in New York, NY

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Christine Sun Kim
Lives in Berlin, Germany
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Josh Kline
Lives in Brooklyn, NY

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Autumn Knight
Lives in New York, NY

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Carolyn Lazard
Lives in Philadelphia, PA

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Maia Ruth Lee
Lives in New York, NY

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Simone Leigh
Lives in Brooklyn, NY

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Daniel Lind-Ramos
Lives in Loíza, PR

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James Luna
Died 2018

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Eric N. Mack
Lives in New York, NY

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Calvin Marcus
Lives in Los Angeles, CA

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Tiona Nekkia McClodden
Lives in Philadelphia, PA

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Troy Michie
Lives in Brooklyn, NY

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Joe Minter
Lives in Birmingham, AL

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Keegan Monaghan
Lives in Brooklyn, NY

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Caroline Monnet
Lives in Montreal, Quebec

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Darius Clark Monroe
Lives in Brooklyn, NY

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Ragen Moss
Lives in Los Angeles, CA

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Sahra Motalebi
Lives in New York, NY, and Delaware County, NY
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Marlon Mullen
Lives in Rodeo, CA

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Jeanette Mundt
Lives in Somerset, NJ

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Wangechi Mutu
Lives in Brooklyn, NY, and Nairobi, Kenya

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Las Nietas de Nonó
Lives in Carolina, PR
Michel Nonó: Born 1982 in San Juan, PR
Lives in Carolina, PR

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Jenn Nkiru
Lives in London, United Kingdom

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Laura Ortman
Lives in Brooklyn, NY

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Jennifer Packer
Lives in New York, NY

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nibia pastrana santiago
Lives in San Juan, PR

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Elle Pérez
Lives in Brooklyn, NY

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Pat Phillips
Lives in Pineville, LA

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Gala Porras-Kim
Lives in Los Angeles, CA

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Walter Price
Lives in Brooklyn, NY

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Carissa Rodriguez
Lives in New York, NY

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Paul Mpagi Sepuya
Lives in Los Angeles, CA

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Heji Shin
Lives in New York, NY

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Diane Simpson
Lives in Wilmette, IL

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Martine Syms
Lives in Los Angeles, CA

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Kyle Thurman
Lives in Brooklyn, NY

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Mariana Valencia
Lives in Brooklyn, NY

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Agustina Woodgate
Lives in Miami, FL, and Amsterdam, the Netherlands

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Videos
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Madeline Hollander: Ouroboros: Gs | Whitney Biennial 2019
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Laura Ortman | Whitney Biennial 2019
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Las Nietas de Nonó: Ilustraciones de la Mecánica | Whitney Biennial 2019
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From Seneca Village to Brooklyn: A Conversation with Tomashi Jackson
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Autumn Knight: Sanity TV | Whitney Biennial 2019
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Ellie Ga: The Fortunetellers | Whitney Biennial 2019
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Meet the 2019 Biennial Artist: Meriem Bennani
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A Conversation with Beta-Local
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nibia pastrana santiago | Whitney Biennial 2019
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Mariana Valencia: Futurity | Whitney Biennial 2019
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Meet the 2019 Biennial Artist: Kota Ezawa
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Brendan Fernandes: The Master and Form | Whitney Biennial 2019
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Meet the 2019 Biennial Artist: Daniel Lind-Ramos
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Photographic Activities: A Salon
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Meet the 2019 Biennial Artist: Tomashi Jackson
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Curating the Whitney Biennial 2019
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Meet the 2019 Biennial Artist: Jeffrey Gibson
Events
View all-
Thurs,
Mar 5A Conversation with Tiona Nekkia McClodden
6:30–8 pm
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Sat,
Oct 26Ethics of Looking: Whitney Biennial 2019
4:30 pm
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Sat,
Oct 19Ethics of Looking: Whitney Biennial 2019
4:30 pm
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Sat,
Oct 12Ethics of Looking: Whitney Biennial 2019
4:30 pm
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Sat,
Oct 5Ethics of Looking: Whitney Biennial 2019
4:30 pm
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Sat,
Sept 28Ethics of Looking: Whitney Biennial 2019
4:30 pm
Audio Guides
“It's a snapshot of contemporary art making in the United States today.”—Jane Panetta, 2019 Biennial co-curator
Hear from the artists and curators about works in the exhibition.
Installation Photography

Installation view of the Whitney Biennial 2019 (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, May 17-September 22, 2019). From left to right: Josh Kline, American Flag, Supreme Court of the United States, Washington D.C., 2019; Josh Kline, Deck, Rosewood Sand Hill Hotel, Menlo Park, 2019; Josh Kline, 432 Park Avenue, Manhattan, 2019; Josh Kline, Statue of Ronald Reagan, United States Capitol Rotunda, Washington D.C., 2019; Josh Kline, Front Desk, Twitter Headquarters, San Francisco, 2019; Josh Kline, United States Capitol, Washington D.C., 2019; Josh Kline, Luxury Home, Los Altos Hills, 2019; Josh Kline, Skyline, San Francisco, 2019. Photograph by Ron Amstutz


Installation view of the Whitney Biennial 2019 (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, May 17-September 22, 2019). From left to right: Alexandra Bell, Friday, April 21, 1989 – Front Page, 2019; Alexandra Bell, Friday, April 21, 1989 – Page 2, 2019; Alexandra Bell, Friday, April 21, 1989 – Page 3, 2019; Alexandra Bell, Saturday, April 22, 1989 – Front Page, 2019; Alexandra Bell, Saturday, April 22, 1989 – Page 3, 2019; Alexandra Bell, Saturday, April 22, 1989 – Page 11, 2019; Alexandra Bell, Sunday, April 23, 1989 – Front Page, 2019; Alexandra Bell, Sunday, April 23, 1989 – Page 2, 2019; Alexandra Bell, Sunday, April 23, 1989 – Page 3, 2019; Alexandra Bell, Sunday, April 23, 1989 – Page 35, 2019; Alexandra Bell, Sunday, April 23, 1989 – Page 4, 2019; Alexandra Bell, Sunday, April 23, 1989 – Page 5, 2019; Alexandra Bell, Monday, April 24, 1989 – Front Page, 2019; Alexandra Bell, Monday, April 24, 1989 – Page 3, 2019; Alexandra Bell, Tuesday, April 25, 1989 – Page 5, 2019; Jeffrey Gibson, PEOPLE LIKE US, 2019; Elle Pérez, Bloom, 2019; Elle Pérez, Sable, 2019; Elle Pérez, Jane, 2019; Jeffrey Gibson, STAND YOUR GROUND, 2019. Photograph by Ron Amstutz


Installation view of the Whitney Biennial 2019 (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, May 17-September 22, 2019). From left to right: Jeffrey Gibson, PEOPLE LIKE US, 2019; Elle Pérez, t, 2019; Elle Pérez, Gabriel, 2019; Elle Pérez, Mae (three days after), 2019; Elle Pérez, Wilding and Charles, 2019; Elle Pérez, Dahlia and David (fag with a scar that says dyke), 2019; Elle Pérez, José Gabriel, 2019; Tiona Nekkia McClodden, I prayed to the wrong god for you, 2019; Jeanette Mundt, Born Athlete American: Laurie Hernandez I, 2018; Jeanette Mundt, Born Athlete American: Simone Biles I, 2017. Photograph by Ron Amstutz


Installation view of the Whitney Biennial 2019 (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, May 17-September 22, 2019). From left to right: Eric N. Mack, Proposition: for wet Gee’s Bend Quilts to replace the American flag – Permanently., 2019; Jennifer Packer, Untitled, 2019; Jennifer Packer, An Exercise in Tenderness, 2017; Jennifer Packer, Untitled, 2019; Jennifer Packer, A Lesson in Longing, 2019. Photograph by Ron Amstutz


Installation view of the Whitney Biennial 2019 (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, May 17-September 22, 2019). From left to right: Jennifer Packer, A Lesson in Longing, 2019; Kyle Thurman, Suggested Occupation 31 (trying to remember a voice), 2019; Kyle Thurman, Suggested Occupation 9, 2017-18; Eric N. Mack, (Easter) The Spring / The Holy Ground, 2018. Photograph by Ron Amstutz


Installation view of the Whitney Biennial 2019 (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, May 17-September 22, 2019). From left to right: Alexandra Bell, Friday, April 21, 1989 – Front Page, 2019; Alexandra Bell, Friday, April 21, 1989 – Page 2, 2019; Alexandra Bell, Friday, April 21, 1989 – Page 3, 2019; Alexandra Bell, Saturday, April 22, 1989 – Front Page, 2019; Alexandra Bell, Saturday, April 22, 1989 – Page 3, 2019; Alexandra Bell, Saturday, April 22, 1989 – Page 11, 2019; Alexandra Bell, Sunday, April 23, 1989 – Front Page, 2019; Alexandra Bell, Sunday, April 23, 1989 – Page 2, 2019; Alexandra Bell, Sunday, April 23, 1989 – Page 3, 2019; Alexandra Bell, Sunday, April 23, 1989 – Page 35, 2019; Alexandra Bell, Sunday, April 23, 1989 – Page 4, 2019; Alexandra Bell, Sunday, April 23, 1989 – Page 5, 2019; Alexandra Bell, Monday, April 24, 1989 – Front Page, 2019; Alexandra Bell, Monday, April 24, 1989 – Page 3, 2019; Alexandra Bell, Tuesday, April 25, 1989 – Page 5, 2019; Alexandra Bell, Tuesday, April 25, 1989 – Page 28, 2019; Alexandra Bell, Tuesday, April 25, 1989 – Page 29, 2019; Alexandra Bell, Friday, April 28, 1989 – Page 7, 2019; Alexandra Bell, Sunday, April 30, 1989 – Page 42, 2019; Alexandra Bell, Monday, May 1, 1989, 2019; Marcus Fischer, Untitled (Words of Concern), 2017. Photograph by Ron Amstutz


Installation view of the Whitney Biennial 2019 (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, May 17-September 22, 2019). From left to right: Kyle Thurman, Suggested Occupation 22, 2018; Kyle Thurman, Suggested Occupation 4, 2016; Kyle Thurman, Suggested Occupation 3, 2016; Jeanette Mundt, Born Athlete American: Simone Biles III, 2019; Christine Sun Kim, Degrees of Deaf Rage in Everyday Situations, 2018; Christine Sun Kim, Degrees of Institutional Deaf Rage, 2018; Christine Sun Kim, Degrees of Deaf Rage While Traveling, 2018; Christine Sun Kim, Degrees of Deaf Rage within Educational Settings, 2018; Christine Sun Kim, Degrees of Deaf Rage Concerning Interpreters (terps), 2018; Christine Sun Kim, Degrees of My Deaf Rage in the Art World, 2018. Photograph by Ron Amstutz


Installation view of the Whitney Biennial 2019 (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, May 17-September 22, 2019). From left to right: Marcus Fischer, Untitled (Words of Concern), 2017; Paul Mpagi Sepuya and A.L. Steiner, Darkroom Mirror Portrait (_1000510), 2018; James Garcia, Untitled, 2018; Matthew Angelo Harrison, Dark Silhouette: Remnant for Disruption, 2019; Paul Mpagi Sepuya and Clay Kerrigan, Camera Lesson (_2210510), 2018; Matthew Angelo Harrison, Dark Silhouette: Traversed Vision, 2019; Matthew Angelo Harrison, Dark Silhouette: Remnant for Disruption, 2019; Matthew Angelo Harrison, Dark Silhouette: Remnant for Disruption, 2019; Keegan Monaghan, Incoming, 2016-17; Matthew Angelo Harrison, Dark Silhouette: Harmonious Union, 2019; Kyle Thurman, Suggested Occupation 31 (trying to remember a voice), 2019; Kyle Thurman, Suggested Occupation 9, 2017-18; Kyle Thurman, Suggested Occupation 29 (Career Day), 2019. Photograph by Ron Amstutz


Installation view of the Whitney Biennial 2019 (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, May 17-September 22, 2019). From left to right: Paul Mpagi Sepuya and Ariel Goldberg, Camera Lesson (_2210485), 2018; Ariel Goldberg, Camera Lesson, 2018; Giancarlo Montes, Improvising Sight Lines, 2018; Giancarlo Montes, Imporivising Sight Lines, 2018; Giancarlo Montes, Improvising Sight Lines, 2018; Peter Tomka, Friday, May 25, 2018; Paul Mpagi Sepuya and A.L. Steiner, Darkroom Mirror Portrait (_1000510), 2018; James Garcia, Untitled, 2018; Matthew Angelo Harrison, Dark Silhouette: Remnant for Disruption, 2019; Matthew Angelo Harrison, Dark Silhouette: Traversed Vision, 2019; Matthew Angelo Harrison, Worker Fragment: Gleam, 2019; Paul Mpagi Sepuya and Clay Kerrigan, Camera Lesson (_2210510), 2018; Matthew Angelo Harrison, Dark Silhouette: Remnant for Disruption, 2019; Keegan Monaghan, Incoming, 2016-17; Matthew Angelo Harrison, Dark Silhouette: Harmonious Union, 2019; Keegan Monaghan, Outside, 2019; Matthew Angelo Harrison, Dark Silhouette: Remnant for Disruption, 2019. Photograph by Ron Amstutz


Installation view of the Whitney Biennial 2019 (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, May 17-September 22, 2019). From left to right: Eric N. Mack, (Easter) The Spring / The Holy Ground, 2018; Matthew Angelo Harrison, Dark Silhouette: Traversed Vision, 2019; Matthew Angelo Harrison, Dark Silhouette: Harmonious Union, 2019; Paul Mpagi Sepuya, Camera Lesson (_2210485), 2018; Ariel Goldberg, Camera Lesson, 2018; Matthew Angelo Harrison, Dark Silhouette: Remnant for Disruption, 2019; Matthew Angelo Harrison, Dark Silhouette: Remnant for Disruption, 2019; Giancarlo Montes, Improvising Sight Lines, 2018; Matthew Angelo Harrison, Worker Fragment: Gleam, 2019; Giancarlo Montes, Improvising Sight Lines, 2018; Matthew Angelo Harrison, Dark Silhouette: Remnant for Disruption, 2019; Peter Tomka, Friday, May 25, 2018; Matthew Angelo Harrison, Dark Silhouette: Remnant for Disruption, 2019; Paul Mpagi Sepuya and A.L. Steiner, Darkroom Mirror Portrait (_1000510), 2018. Photograph by Ron Amstutz


Installation view of the Whitney Biennial 2019 (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, May 17-September 22, 2019). From left to right: Giancarlo Montes, Improvising Sight Lines, 2018; Giancarlo Montes, Improvising Sight Lines, 2018; Giancarlo Montes, Improvising Sight Lines, 2018; Peter Tomka, Friday, May 25, 2018; Paul Mpagi Sepuya and A.L. Steiner, Darkroom Mirror Portrait (_1000510), 2018; James Garcia, Untitled, 2018. Photograph by Ron Amstutz


Installation view of the Whitney Biennial 2019 (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, May 17-September 22, 2019). From left to right: Dicko Chan, Untitled, 2018; Emerson Ricard, Untitled, 2018; Derrick Woods-Morrow, Untitled, 2018-19; Clifford King, Untitled, 2018; Paul Mpagi Sepuya, Drop Scene (0X5A1987), 2018. Photograph by Ron Amstutz


Installation view of the Whitney Biennial 2019 (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, May 17-September 22, 2019). From left to right: Paul Mpagi Sepuya, Drop Scene (0X5A1987), 2018; Agustina Woodgate, National Times, 2016/2019; Matthew Angelo Harrison, Dark Silhouette: Remnant for Disruption, 2019; Matthew Angelo Harrison, Dark Silhouette: Harmonious Union, 2019; Matthew Angelo Harrison, Dark Silhouette: Remnant for Disruption, 2019; Matthew Angelo Harrison, Worker Fragment: Gleam, 2019; Matthew Angelo Harrison, Dark Silhouette: Remnant for Disruption, 2019; Paul Mpagi Sepuya and Ariel Goldberg, Camera Lesson (_2210485), 2018; Matthew Angelo Harrison, Dark Silhouette: Remnant for Disruption, 2019; Ariel Goldberg, Camera Lesson, 2018. Photograph by Ron Amstutz


Installation view of the Whitney Biennial 2019 (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, May 17-September 22, 2019). From left to right: Heji Shin, Baby 6, 2016; Heji Shin, Baby 10, 2016; Simone Leigh, #8 Village Series, 2019; Heji Shin, Baby 7, 2016; Heji Shin, Baby 16, 2017; Heji Shin, Baby 1, 2016; Simone Leigh, Corrugated Lady, 2018. Photograph by Ron Amstutz


Installation view of the Whitney Biennial 2019 (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, May 17-September 22, 2019). From left to right: Janiva Ellis, Uh Oh, Look Who Got Wet, 2019; Simone Leigh, #8 Village Series, 2019; Heji Shin, Baby 6, 2016; Heji Shin, Baby 10, 2016; Heji Shin, Baby 7, 2016; Simone Leigh, Stick, 2019; Heji Shin, Baby 1, 2016; Simone Leigh, Corrugated Lady, 2018. Photograph by Ron Amstutz


Installation view of the Whitney Biennial 2019 (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, May 17-September 22, 2019). From left to right: Iman Issa, Heritage Studies #27, 2017; Milano Chow, Night Exterior III, 2019; Milano Chow, Night Exterior II, 2019; Iman Issa, Heritage Studies #34, 2019; Milano Chow, Night Exterior I, 2019; Iman Issa, Heritage Studies #20, 2016; Pat Phillips, Untitled (Don’t Tread On Me), 2019. Photograph by Ron Amstutz


Installation view of the Whitney Biennial 2019 (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, May 17-September 22, 2019). From left to right: Iman Issa, Heritage Studies #20, 2016; Carissa Rodriguez, The Maid, 2018; Carissa Rodriguez, All the Best Memories are Hers, 2018; Iman Issa, Heritage Studies #34, 2019; Iman Issa, Heritage Studies #33, 2019. Photograph by Ron Amstutz


Installation view of the Whitney Biennial 2019 (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, May 17-September 22, 2019). From left to right: Iman Issa, Heritage Studies #33, 2019; Milano Chow, Floor Plan II, 2019; Milano Chow, Floor Plan I, 2019; Iman Issa, Heritage Studies #34, 2019; Iman Issa, Heritage Studies #27, 2017; Iman Issa, Heritage Studies #20, 2016; Carissa Rodriguez, The Maid, 2018. Photograph by Ron Amstutz


Installation view of the Whitney Biennial 2019 (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, May 17-September 22, 2019). From left to right: Iman Issa, Heritage Studies #34, 2019; Milano Chow, Floor Plan II, 2019; Milano Chow, Floor Plan I, 2019; Iman Issa, Heritage Studies #20, 2016; Iman Issa, Heritage Studies #27, 2017. Photograph by Ron Amstutz


Installation view of the Whitney Biennial 2019 (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, May 17-September 22, 2019). From left to right: John Edmonds, Young man wearing a maternity bust (from the Makonde), 2019; John Edmonds, Young man holding a maternity bust (from the Lega), 2019; John Edmonds, Tête d'Homme, 2018; John Edmonds, Status, 2018; John Edmonds, Holding a sculpture (from the Ashanti), 2019. Photograph by Ron Amstutz


Installation view of the Whitney Biennial 2019 (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, May 17-September 22, 2019). From left to right: John Edmonds, Still Life I, 2019; John Edmonds,Tourist items (from Liberia), 2019; John Edmonds, Omega, 2018; John Edmonds, Untitled (Head II), 2018; John Edmonds, Young man holding up Kuba cloth, 2019; Bull Mark (from the Ivory Coast), 2019; John Edmonds, The Villain, 2018; John Edmonds, Still LIfe II, 2018; John Edmonds, Young man looking at a female sculpture (from the Senufo), 2019; John Edmonds, Alpha, 2018; John Edmonds, Woman's Head, 2018. Photograph by Ron Amstutz


Installation view of the Whitney Biennial 2019 (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, May 17-September 22, 2019). From left to right: Martine Syms, People Who Aren’t Friends or Lovers or Exes, 2019; Martine Syms, Window Card, 2019; Martine Syms, Subway, 2019; Martine Syms, Intro to Threat Modeling, 2017; Martine Syms, Half Sheet, 2019; Martine Syms, Insert, 2019; Martine Syms, One Sheet, 2019; Martine Syms, Three Sheet, 2019; Martine Syms, Subway, 2019; Martine Syms, Window Card, 2019; Olga Balema, Leaf, 2019; Tomashi Jackson, Hometown Buffet-Two Blues (Limited Value Exercise), 2019. Photograph by Ron Amstutz


Installation view of the Whitney Biennial 2019 (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, May 17-September 22, 2019). From left to right: Tomashi Jackson, Hometown Buffet-Two Blues (Limited Value Exercise), 2019; Olga Balema, Leaf, 2019; Tomashi Jackson, Third Party Transfer and the Making of Central Park (Seneca Village – Brooklyn 1853-2019), 2019. Photograph by Ron Amstutz


Installation view of the Whitney Biennial 2019 (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, May 17-September 22, 2019). From left to right: Tomashi Jackson, Third Party Transfer and the Making of Central Park (Seneca Village – Brooklyn 1853-2019), 2019; Walter Price, The things that horse ourselves for uncertainty, 2018; Joe Minter, ’63 Foot Soldiers, 1999; Walter Price, Sit some to the side for the shell end, 2018; Walter Price, Everything’s connected, 2018; Walter Price, Upgrayyed, 2018; Joe Minter, Three Flying Saucers, 2000; Tomashi Jackson, The Woman is King (Mary and Marlene) (Simultaneous Contrast), 2019. Photograph by Ron Amstutz


Installation view of the Whitney Biennial 2019 (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, May 17-September 22, 2019). From left to right: Tomashi Jackson, The Woman Is King (Mary and Marlene) (Simultaneous Contrast), 2019; Kota Ezawa, National Anthem (The Roar of the Jaguars), 2018; Kota Ezawa, National Anthem (Buffalo Bills), 2018; Kota Ezawa, National Anthem (Denver Broncos), 2018. Photograph by Ron Amstutz


Installation view of the Whitney Biennial 2019 (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, May 17-September 22, 2019). From left to right: Ragen Moss, Driver (with Passenger), November 2018; Ragen Moss, Theoloogian [sic] (with Torso), 2018; Ragen Moss, Miner (with Heart), 2019; Ragen Moss, Shimmier (with Torso, with Heart), 2018; Lucas Blalock, Some Eggs, 2018; Lucas Blalock, Bananas, 2018; Ragen Moss, Ogler, 2018; Ragen Moss, Bullfighter (with one other Bullfighter), 2019; Ragen Moss, Romanettes (with double Hearts), 2018; Ragen Moss, Author (with Arm), 2018. Photograph by Ron Amstutz


Installation view of the Whitney Biennial 2019 (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, May 17-September 22, 2019). From left to right: Tomashi Jackson, Hometown Buffet-Two Blues (Limited Value Exercise), 2019; Ragen Moss, Driver (with Passenger), November 2018; Ragen Moss, Author (with Arm), 2018; Ragen Moss, Theoloogian [sic] (with Torso), 2018; Ragen Moss, Romanettes (with double Hearts), 2018; Ragen Moss, Miner (with Heart), 2019; Ragen Moss, Bullfighter (with one other Bullfighter), 2019; Ragen Moss, Figure (with Arm), 2018; Ragen Moss, Ogler, 2018; Kota Ezawa, National Anthem (The Roar of the Jaguars), 2018. Photograph by Ron Amstutz


Installation view of the Whitney Biennial 2019 (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, May 17-September 22, 2019). From left to right: Wangechi Mutu, Sentinel I, 2018; Ilana Harris-Babou, Reparation Hardware, 2018; Ilana Harris-Babou, Red Sourcebook, 2018; Ilana Harris-Babou, Human Design, 2019; Marlon Mullen, Untitled, 2018; Marlon Mullen, Untitled, 2018. Photograph by Ron Amstutz


Installation view of the Whitney Biennial 2019 (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, May 17-September 22, 2019). From left to right: Lucas Blalock, The Noncomformist, 2017-19; Wangechi Mutu, Sentinel I, 2018; Wangechi Mutu, Sentinel II, 2018; Maia Ruth Lee, Bondage Baggage Prototype 4, 2018. Photograph by Ron Amstutz


Installation view of the Whitney Biennial 2019 (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, May 17-September 22, 2019). From left to right: Calvin Marcus, Los Angeles Painting, 2018; Calvin Marcus, Tall Snowman, 2019; Calvin Marcus, Conspiracy of Asses, 2019; Calvin Marcus, Ghost of Younger Self, 2019; Calvin Marcus, No Need Here, 2019; Daniel Lind-Ramos, Maria-Maria, 2019; Nicholas Galanin, White Noise, American Prayer Rug, 2018. Photograph by Ron Amstutz


Installation view of the Whitney Biennial 2019 (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, May 17-September 22, 2019). From left to right: Laura Ortman, My Soul Remainer, 2017; Daniel Lind-Ramos, Centinelas (Sentinels), 2013; Gala Porras-Kim, La Mojarra Stela illuminated text, 2019. Photograph by Ron Amstutz


Installation view of the Whitney Biennial 2019 (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, May 17-September 22, 2019). From left to right: Gala Porras-Kim, La Mojarra Stela and its shapes, 2019; Gala Porras-Kim, La Mojarra Stela negative space, 2019; Gala Porras-Kim, La Mojarra Stela illuminated text, 2019, and La Mojarra Stela incidental conjugations, 2019. Photograph by Ron Amstutz


Installation view of the Whitney Biennial 2019 (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, May 17-September 22, 2019). From left to right: Eddie Arroyo, 5825 NE 2nd Ave., Miami, FL 33137, 2016; Eddie Arroyo, 5825 NE 2nd Ave., Miami, FL 33137, 2017; Eddie Arroyo, 5825 NE 2nd Ave., Miami, FL 33137, 2018; Eddie Arroyo, 5825 NE 2nd Ave., Miami, FL 33137, 2019; Daniel Lind-Ramos, 1797: Vencedor (1797: Victorious), 2017-18. Photograph by Ron Amstutz


Installation view of the Whitney Biennial 2019 (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, May 17-September 22, 2019). From left to right: Walter Price, The things that horse ourselves for uncertainty, 2018; Joe Minter, The First Fireplace, 1998; Joe Minter, Lightening the Load, 2004; Walter Price, Sit some to the side for the shell end, 2018; Walter Price, Everything’s connected, 2018; Walter Price, Upgrayyed, 2018; Joe Minter, ’63 Foot Soldiers, 1999; Troy Michie, Hung Out To Dry / The Land Was Mexican Once, 2019; Troy Michie, Yo Soy Un Puente Tendido / This Is My Home, 2019; Joe Minter, Three Flying Saucers, 2000; Troy Michie, Los Atravesados / The Skin Of The Earth Is Seamless, 2019. Photograph by Ron Amstutz


Installation view of the Whitney Biennial 2019 (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, May 17-September 22, 2019). From left to right: Curran Hattleberg, Untitled (Mantis), 2018; Curran Hattleberg, Untitled (Water’s Edge), 2018; Curran Hattleberg, Untitled (Man with Bees), 2017; Curran Hattleberg, Riverfront, 2013; Curran Hattleberg, Untitled (Hole), 2016; Curran Hattleberg, Untitled (Camaro), 2017; Curran Hattleberg, Untitled (Afternoon), 2018; Curran Hattleberg, Untitled (Dominoes), 2016; Curran Hattleberg, Untitled (Stoop), 2015; Curran Hattleberg, Untitled (Back Porch), 2017; Curran Hattleberg, Untitled (Blue Truck), 2016. Photograph by Ron Amstutz


Installation view of the Whitney Biennial 2019 (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, May 17-September 22, 2019). From left to right: Curran Hattleberg, Untitled (Front Porch), 2013; Curran Hattleberg, Untitled (Girl with Snake), 2016; Curran Hattleberg, Untitled (Snake), 2016; Curran Hattleberg, Untitled (Front Porch), 2016. Photograph by Ron Amstutz


Installation view of the Whitney Biennial 2019 (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, May 17-September 22, 2019). From left to right: Curran Hattleberg, Untitled (Dominoes), 2016; Curran Hattleberg, Untitled (Stoop), 2015; Curran Hattleberg, Untitled (Back Porch), 2017; Curran Hattleberg, Untitled (Blue Truck), 2016. Photograph by Ron Amstutz


Installation view of the Whitney Biennial 2019 (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, May 17-September 22, 2019). From left to right: Curran Hattleberg, Untitled (Mantis), 2018; Curran Hattleberg, Untitled (Water’s Edge), 2018; Curran Hattleberg, Untitled (Man with Bees), 2017; Curran Hattleberg, Riverfront, 2013. Photograph by Ron Amstutz


Installation view of the Whitney Biennial 2019 (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, May 17-September 22, 2019). From left to right: Diane Simpson, Window Dressing: Background 4, Apron VI, 2003/2007; Diane Simpson, Jabot (triplet), 2018; Diane Simpson, Drawing for Peplum III, 2014-15; Diane Simpson, Drawing for Peplum IV + Valence, 2015. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

Film Screenings and Performances
A dedicated screening program of eighteen films, selected by three guest curators, will immerse viewers in tales ranging from the world of global Black music, fashion, and visual culture to the discovery of a nine-thousand-year-old skeleton in Washington State. Performance works, from opera to social critique, will take place in the galleries, the theater, outdoors, and other spaces throughout the museum.
Exhibition Catalogue
Coming in the midst of dramatic shifts in the cultural, social, and political landscapes, this book serves as an important resource on present-day trends in contemporary art in the United States. The catalogue features process images and source material from each of the Biennial participants, in addition to a commissioned text on each artist and essays by the curators on the themes of the exhibition.
Buy nowIn the News
“This year’s Whitney Biennial is organized by Jane Panetta and Rujeko Hockley, two astute young curators on the museum’s staff.” —The New Yorker
“There’s perhaps no better place to check out the contemporary art world’s up-and-comers than at New York City’s Whitney Museum of American Art, and this summer show is the crème de la crème.” —Forbes Travel Guide
“While the roster includes familiar names (Nicole Eisenman, Josh Kline) and new cult favorites (the unconventional collective Forensic Architecture, nominated for the 2018 Turner Prize), it also leaves room for plenty of unexpected discoveries.” —GARAGE
“The curators of the seventy-ninth Whitney Biennial take the pulse of American creativity at one of the most polarizing times in the country’s history.” —Elle
“While we used to believe art history was a progression of one ism and style to the next, artists are now inhabiting the beautiful ruins of the art of the past 125 years.” —New York Magazine
“In many ways, this year’s biennial is not just a passive reflection of what is happening in contemporary art, but also a statement about the importance of supporting and cultivating emerging artists, especially during challenging times.” —AM New York
“If there was ever a biennial you wouldn’t want to miss, it’s this one.” —New York Post
“A requisite for anyone who wants to explore the vast talent of 75 artists who push the boundaries of gender, race, and equity, wrestling with ideas and topics that are indispensable in today’s social dialogue . . . This is the art that defines our present.” —Forbes
“Artist by artist, piece by piece, there’s a lot of quiet agitation in the air . . . A view of American art far more inclusive than it once was . . . The ethnic and gender mix is balanced to a degree unimaginable even a decade ago.” —The New York Times
“The show is by turns beautiful, elegant, formally complex, and even funny at times. It is also fierce.” —4Columns
“Fresh and energizing” —Gothamist
“ . . . it’s a place where traditional boundaries give way to an animated spirit of inclusion . . . a good lesson for life . . . this Biennial makes thoughtful purpose its hallmark . . . Boom.” —The Boston Globe
“For an up-to-the-minute blockbuster that confronts some of today’s thorniest issues—race, class, gender, inequality—the Whitney’s 2019 Biennial is unexpectedly lovely to look at. . . . Much of the work here is subtle, thoughtful and meticulously engineered.” –Financial Times
Curatorial Statement
By Jane Panetta and Rujeko Hockley
Often described as a snapshot of art in the United States, the Biennial brings together work by individuals and collectives in a broad array of mediums. Over the past year and a half—an undeniably intense and polarized time in this country—we made hundreds of studio visits. While we often encountered heightened emotions, they were directed toward thoughtful and productive experimentation, the re-envisioning of self and society, and political and aesthetic strategies for survival. Although much of the work presented here is steeped in sociopolitical concerns, the cumulative effect is open-ended and hopeful.
Key issues and approaches emerge across the exhibition: the mining of history as a means to reimagine the present or future; a profound consideration of race, gender, and equity; and explorations of the vulnerability of the body. Concerns for community appear in the content and social engagement of the work and also in the ways that the artists navigate the world. Many of the artists included emphasize the physicality of their materials, whether in sculptures assembled out of found objects, heavily worked paintings, or painstakingly detailed drawings. An emphasis on the artist’s hand suggests a rejection of the digital and the related slick, packaged presentation of the self in favor of more individualized and idiosyncratic work.
While we were organizing this exhibition, broader debates in the public sphere surfaced at the Museum, which itself became the site and subject of protest, as it has been throughout its history. Fundamental to the Whitney’s identity is its openness to dialogue, and the conversations that have occurred here and across the country became a productive lens through which to synthesize our own looking, thinking, and self-questioning.
The 2019 Whitney Biennial is organized by Jane Panetta and Rujeko Hockley, with Ramsay Kolber.
The film program is organized by Maori Karmael Holmes, Sky Hopinka, and Matt Wolf.
The performance program is organized by Jane Panetta, Rujeko Hockley, and Greta Hartenstein.
Whitney Biennial 2019 is presented by
Major support is provided by The Brown Foundation, Inc., of Houston; The Philip and Janice Levin Foundation; The Rosenkranz Foundation; and the Whitney’s National Committee.
Generous support is provided by Lise and Michael Evans; and the John R. Eckel, Jr. Foundation.
Significant support is provided by 2019 Biennial Committee Co-Chairs: Beth Rudin DeWoody, Bob Gersh, Miyoung Lee, and Fred Wilson; 2019 Biennial Committee members: Ashley Leeds and Christopher Harland, Diane and Adam E. Max, Annette and Paul Smith, Sarah Arison and Thomas Wilhelm, Bill Block, the Debra and Jeffrey Geller Family Foundation, Rebecca and Martin Eisenberg, Amanda and Glenn Fuhrman, Barbara and Michael Gamson, Marjorie and James D. Kuhn, Kourosh Larizadeh and Luis Pardo, Melanie Shorin and Greg S. Feldman, Dora and Cranford Stoudemire, and the William and Ellen Taubman Foundation; and Further Forward Foundation, the Kapadia Equity Fund, The Keith Haring Foundation Exhibition Fund, Katie and Amnon Rodan, and Sotheby’s.
Additional support is provided by the Barbro Osher Pro Suecia Foundation.
Funding is also provided by special Biennial endowments created by Melva Bucksbaum, Emily Fisher Landau, Leonard A. Lauder, and Fern and Lenard Tessler.
Curatorial research and travel for this exhibition were funded by an endowment established by Rosina Lee Yue and Bert A. Lies, Jr., MD.
New York magazine is the exclusive media sponsor.
More from this series
Learn more about the Whitney Biennial, the longest-running survey of American art.