Frieze #259
230 x 300 mm, 174 pages
London
Eight times a year
First published 1991
Editor-in-chief: Andrew Durbin
Art director: Lorenz Klingebiel
Over 34 years, Frieze has developed from outsider indie to the leading magazine for contemporary art and culture, and during that time has spawned art fairs in London, New York and Los Angeles. It provides international art coverage, criticism and analysis, and promises (if not always delivers) jargon-free language.
This is their May 2026 issue, and their third devoted exclusively to the Venice Biennale—the world’s longest-running international exhibition. The cover takes inspiration from Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo’s fresco ‘Il Mondo Negro’, with both the original and recreation offering a reminder of Venice’s ‘great passion for the world beyond its canals’.
During a period of immense upheaval, this year’s fair is perhaps the most highly debated to date. Critic Matthew Holman recognises this in his featured essay, noting that ‘The Biennale was created to bring the world to Venice. Rather, it brought the world’s conflicts with it.’ The columnists inside this issue, many of whom are part of the next generation of artists exhibiting at Venice, wrestle with several of these themes—from identity to displacement and conflict. Elsewhere, Lubaina Himid considers what it means to represent your country ahead of her exhibition at the British Pavilion. Plus, you’ll find the usual ‘Reviews’ section, offering insight and critique into recent exhibitions from across the globe.