French Moroccan artist Yto Barrada has been chosen to represent France at the 61st Venice Biennale in 2026. The jury, led by Clarie Le Restif, director of the Contemporary Art Center of Ivry, selected Barrada due to her “multidisciplinary practice that unites diverse artistic and social communities in the quest for a new utopia.” The decision was endorsed by Jean-Noël Barrot, France’s minister for Europe and foreign affairs, and Rachida Dati, France’s minister of culture.
Born in 1971 in Paris, Barrada spent most of her childhood in Tangier, Morocco. She studied history and political science at the Sorbonne in Paris before studying at the International Center of Photography (ICP) in New York. Over the past 25 years, she has developed a robust multidisciplinary approach involving installation, film, photography, sculpture, textiles, and publishing. Her projects often explore the intersection of cultural processes and historical narratives, touching on topics including social disobedience and colonial anthropology, among others.
Barrada’s work has been prominently featured in major institutions worldwide, including solo exhibitions at the Tate Modern in London, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam. Her outdoor exhibition “Le Grand Soir” is currently on view at MoMA PS1 until 2026. The exhibition features geometric structures crafted from colorful concrete cubes, inviting visitors to climb and interact. She also participated in the 2007 and 2011 Venice Biennales. She is represented by Goodman Gallery and Pace Gallery and most recently had a solo show at Pace in March 2024.
Outside of her practice, Barrada is also known for cultivating art communities across Morocco. In 2007, she co-founded the Cinémathèque de Tangier in the Moroccan capital alongside French producer Cyriac Auriol and Moroccan director Latif Lahlou. The art-house cinema is dedicated to developing film culture in Morocco. In 2021, she also established The Mothership, a research and residency center that promotes a feminist and ecological approach to creative processes.
The announcement coincides with a backdrop of strengthened diplomatic ties between France and Morocco. In October, France announced its support of Morocco in a land dispute in Western Sahara.
Only a handful of countries have announced the artists who will represent them in national pavilions at the 61st Venice Biennale. These include: Abba Akhavan for Canada; Merike Estna for Estonia; Isabel Nolan for Ireland; and Aline Bouvy for Luxembourg.
