If you go to the Carnegie International expecting paintings and other two-dimensional artwork, you may be disappointed. Much of what you’ll experience in the 2026 edition is immersive, with video and sound playing a major role.
“If the word we” is this year’s theme. The title suggests connection, but also invites us to think about who we include in our various groups when we use the word “we.”
The curators, Ryan Inouye, Danielle A. Jackson and Liz Park, challenge the idea that a group of people shares a single identity or perspective. Instead, they see “we” as something that evolves through listening, relationships and encounters with others. Indeed, a journey through the exhibition may challenge your very notion of what art can be.
We tried to arrive right when the museum opened at 10 a.m. and used a reciprocal ROAM membership for admission.
The first work we encountered was Fiela, fiela (I’ve come to take you home) by Dineo Seshee Bopape (Raisibe), from Johannesburg, South Africa.
According to the label, the work’s title draws on two sources of inspiration. “Fiela, fiela” refers to the practice of sweeping, while “I’ve come to take you home” comes from a poem by Diana Ferrus, written in 1998 as a tribute to Sarah Baartman, a southern African woman who was dehumanized and exhibited in Europe in the early 19th century.
This immersive installation, with its earthen walls, sweeping sounds and projections, certainly set the tone for what we would experience over the next two hours.
Perhaps the most anticipated space at the International is the Grand Hall, a classical room modeled on the interior of the Parthenon. This year, it houses Green Hall Annex (2026) by Cinthia Marcelle of São Paulo, Brazil. The museum’s label provides more information about the work.
Reality Has Less to Do With Me Than I Thought, by Walter Scott of Montreal, Canada, uses the artist’s cartoon character Wendy to explore self-doubt and the difficulty of escaping the confines of a white-cube space.
Donald Rodney‘s Doublethink (1992) is a collection of sports trophies engraved with biting stereotypes drawn from magazines, newspapers and the artist’s own experiences. The work explores the contradictions of race and racism, challenging viewers to confront their often painful dualities.
Rodney is one of several artists in the exhibition who are no longer living. Their inclusion raises an interesting question about the continued relevance of their work and its place in today’s conversations. In Rodney’s case, the subject matter remains painfully relevant.
Another highlight was a room filled with drawings and sculptures by Japanese artist Sofu Teshigahara, presented by his foundation. Perhaps it was our desire for more direct work in a traditional mode, but we agreed that this was some of the best work in the show.
Several works have their origins in the pandemic. This includes A Few Ordinary Parallel Lines by Zhao Yao of Beijing, China. The work consists of small squares made from eggshells cut during confinement.
Another immersive installation, Not Alone But Separate by Mohit Shelare of Delhi, India, explores the relationship between people and the natural world. The artist considers how ideas about contamination, catastrophe and the things we discard might lead us to new discoveries, reminding us that humans are part of nature rather than separate from it.
The exhibition also includes a hall of works from past Internationals, dating back to 1896. Originally held every year and focused mainly on painting, the show has changed considerably over time.
Looking at this year’s edition, I wonder how often some of these works will ever be seen again. Many address issues that are very much of our time, but will they speak to future generations in the same way? Will they travel to other museums, or disappear from view once the exhibition closes?
It’s hard to imagine some of these installations being shown again, let alone finding a place in a future history hall like the one shown. Perhaps that’s part of the point. Art doesn’t have to last forever to be meaningful. Still, seeing the works preserved from earlier Internationals makes you wonder what, if anything, from this year’s show will be remembered a hundred years from now.
For Pittsburgh, the exhibition is priceless in its ability to bring the international art world to a city that’s increasingly becoming a dynamic center for the technologies of the future.
An honest assessment from people who see a lot of art at museums and fairs is that this edition was too conceptual, placing far more emphasis on ideas than on craft. There’s certainly a place for that kind of work, but this year’s exhibition seemed especially heavy on concepts and light on the kind of art that stops you in your tracks during an ordinary museum visit.
You have until January 3, 2027 to see for yourself.
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