Biennale Opening Weekend – Day 1

The program of the four-day Opening Weekend of the Biennale Matter of Art 2026 will begin on Thursday, June 11 at the principal venue of the biennale—the National Gallery Prague’s Trade Fair Palace. Mark the opening night of the biennale on your calendar, join the event on Facebook, or subscribe to our newsletter. The opening weekend program will continue until Sunday, June 14, with performances, guided tours, and other events.

The opening ceremony will symbolically inaugurate the main section of the biennial exhibition at the Trade Fair Palace, which “proposes artistic form as a vehicle for solidarity and compassion, functioning as a carrier, proxy, and instrument for strengthening insurgent communities as much as addressing personal urgency.”

The night will unfold with two performances. Warsaw-based artist Nadia Markiewicz will perform as The Lonesome Wing—a character “born with the wing of a white bird instead of one arm.” Emerging Czech artist Michal Durda will present the group performance Looks Like a Calf at a New Door. Drawing from the fluid symbolism of bulls, cows, and calves, the performance explores the notion of queer shame and self-acceptance. An afterparty with DJs from the local community platform Shella Radio will cap off the evening.

The international exhibition and public program will be held in three principal locations: The Great Hall of the Trade Fair Palace in Prague, GAMPA – City Gallery Pardubice, and Tusculum Prague. The last day to view the complete exhibition across all three venues will be September 13, 2026. The exhibition at GAMPA Pardubice will continue until September 26.