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Curator Ellie Buttrose explains theme for her 2026 Adelaide Biennial

Curator Ellie Buttrose centres material strength at the heart of her 2026 Adelaide Biennale.

3 Sep 2025 8:30

Gina Fairley

Gallery view of installation of sculptures made from various materials.

Visual Arts

Installation view: Isadora Vaughan, ‘Organs of Cognition,’ 2021. The National 2021: New Australian Art, Carriageworks. Photo: Zan Wimberley

Announced today (3 September) the theme for the 2026 Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art is Yield Strength.

Curator Ellie Buttrose – who was responsible for curating Australia’s Golden Lion winning pavilion at the Venice Biennale last year – said that she is interested in ‘what it means to transform materials, to yield to them, and not be able to go backwards.’

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Gina Fairley

Gina Fairley is ArtsHub's National Visual Arts Editor. For a decade she worked as a freelance writer and curator across Southeast Asia and was previously the Regional Contributing Editor for Hong Kong based magazines Asian Art News and World Sculpture News. Prior to writing she worked as an arts manager in America and Australia for 14 years, including the regional gallery, biennale and commercial sectors. She is based in Mittagong, regional NSW. Twitter: @ginafairley Instagram: fairleygina