1922 Revisited Brings Contemporary Performance Into Dialogue With Venice Biennale History

Artists from Africa and its diasporas to perform at the 61st Venice Biennale

Apr. 19, 2026 at 12:22pm

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A striking, minimalist composition of bold, jagged shapes and silhouettes in high-contrast colors, conceptually representing the themes of historical framing, marginalized voices, and possibilities for renewal in the context of the Venice Biennale.A contemporary performance program revisits the imperial legacy of the Venice Biennale through an abstract, graphic lens.NYC Today

During the preview week of the 2026 Venice Biennale, Third Space Art Foundation will present '1922 Revisited', a live arts program curated by Dr. Janine A. Sytsma. The initiative engages the historical framing of African art within the 1922 Biennale through contemporary performance, bringing together artists from across Africa and its diasporas to confront the imperial logic of the Biennale, amplify long-silenced voices, introduce epistemologies rooted in African thought, and envision possibilities for renewal.

Why it matters

The 1922 Venice Biennale marked a significant moment in the framing and presentation of African art on the global stage, though the archival record of this exhibition is fragmentary. By revisiting this history through contemporary performance, '1922 Revisited' offers a platform to critically engage the legacy of the Biennale and its imperial underpinnings, while amplifying diverse artistic voices and perspectives that have long been marginalized within these major exhibition platforms.

The details

The '1922 Revisited' program will unfold across multiple sites in Venice during the Biennale preview week, May 5-9, 2026. It will feature a series of live performance works by artists including Jelili Atiku, Tsedaye Makonnen, Jermay Michael Gabriel, Va-Bene Fiatsi (crazinisT artisT), Zora Snake, Wura-Natasha Ogunji, ruby onyinyechi amanze, and Bernard Akoi-Jackson. The works will engage the archive of the 1922 Biennale not as a fixed record, but as a point of departure, activating its fragments through movement, presence, and public interaction.

  • The '1922 Revisited' program will be presented May 5-9, 2026, during the preview week of the 61st Venice Biennale.

The players

Third Space Art Foundation

An organization that supports artistic exchange and collective engagement through the cultivation of 'third spaces' - dynamic zones of encounter, negotiation, and creative transformation.

Dr. Janine A. Sytsma

The curator of the '1922 Revisited' program.

African Art in Venice Forum

A collaborating partner on the '1922 Revisited' program.

European Cultural Centre

A collaborating partner on the '1922 Revisited' program.

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What they’re saying

“1922 Revisited offers a platform for contemporary performance artists to confront the imperial logic of the Biennale, amplify long-silenced voices, introduce epistemologies rooted in African thought, and envision possibilities for renewal.”

— Dr. Janine A. Sytsma, Curator

What’s next

The '1922 Revisited' program will be presented during the preview week of the 61st Venice Biennale, from May 5-9, 2026. In parallel, Third Space Art Foundation is developing a companion publication titled 'Harmonies of Repair', which will include artist contributions, curatorial essays, and archival research related to the project.

The takeaway

By revisiting the historical framing of African art at the 1922 Venice Biennale through contemporary performance, the '1922 Revisited' program offers a critical examination of the Biennale's imperial underpinnings and creates a platform to amplify diverse artistic voices and perspectives that have long been marginalized within these major exhibition platforms.