Biennale Matter of Art Announces Curators for the 2026 Edition

The biennale will take place in the summer of 2026 in the Czech Republic and will be co-curated by Jaroslava Tomanová, Jakub Gawkowski, and František Fekete. Taking the form of a large, international group exhibition spanning several venues, the biennale will also include several new commissioned projects and a program of live events. The biennale is strongly shaped by the political anchoring of tranzit.cz, whose practice is guided by feminist principles and aims for gender equality, developing ethical and sustainable relationships, and fulfilling the universal right of access to culture. The previous edition attracted more than 15,000 visitors.

Since its inception, the Biennale Matter of Art has brought critical and socially conscious art into the social space, seeking ways in which cultural spaces and events can contribute to emancipation. “Our ambition is to amplify curatorial and artistic perspectives from the region and become a compass for navigating complex social and political issues,” says Tereza Stejskalová, director of tranzit.cz. “The three-member international curatorial group reflects the plurality and diversity of today’s curatorial approaches. Jaroslava Tomanová’s curatorial method is based on political solidarity and mutual care, modalities that are subversive toward dominant socioeconomic and colonial power structures. Jakub Gawkowski’s practice is based on reading art history through the lenses of the present, using exhibitions as a means of critically interrogating the functions of art institutions in modern society. And František Fekete exerts his artistic sensitivity and curates with an instinctive approach,” Stejskalová adds. The Biennale Matter of Art was founded in 2020 as a project of the nonprofit contemporary art initiative tranzit.cz, and its 2026 edition will be taking place in and outside of Prague, Czech Republic.

Jaroslava Tomanová is interested in exploring alternatives to dominant socioeconomic models and promoting practices that contribute to just, equal, and inclusive living in common. Tomanová supports artistic endeavors that nurture life and existence amid perpetual wars as well as those that promote resilience and collective organizing to challenge the violence of colonial domination and capitalist systems that determine whose lives are valued over others. At the core of her curatorial method is a strong sense of political allyship and a mutual commitment to building relationships grounded in trust, care, and kindness. Jakub Gawkowski’s work is rooted in making things possible—creating the conditions for ideas, practices, and experiences to unfold. He often works collaboratively—not only with artists but also with researchers, architects, and fellow curators—and uses exhibitions as a practical way to share knowledge, speak up, and test ideas. František Fekete’s curatorial approach is primarily based on intuition, aiming to create a space of mutual trust and open possibilities for artists, and his work is driven by a deep interest in the poetics of subjectivity. His research explores how images and visual situations can form, transform, or invent subjectivities as well as propose poetic strategies for critically examining social dynamics and individual development. Currently he is exploring topics such as queer spirituality, nonnormative masculinities, and situated corporeality.