The Women in Art Biennale has emerged as a platform focused on strengthening gender balance in the art world through sustained visibility rather than one-off exposure. Bringing together around 150 artists from more than 50 countries, it spans painting, sculpture, installation, and digital media, forming a broad snapshot of contemporary practice shaped by diverse cultures and experiences.
As International Women’s Day approaches on Sunday, March 8th, the Biennale’s mission resonates with renewed urgency, foregrounding women’s contributions to contemporary culture on a global stage.
In a connected art landscape, the Biennale foregrounds artists working beyond national boundaries, presenting work that speaks to global conditions while remaining rooted in individual perspectives. Founded by Canadian-based Bisa Bennett and her daughter Tijana Bennett, the team behind Artio Gallery, the initiative builds on an international curatorial network spanning London, New York, Miami, Paris, and Barcelona.
Bisa Bennett, a visual artist and curator with over three decades of experience across art, fashion, and film, leads Artio Gallery as Director and Chief Curator. Her exhibitions often pair emerging and established artists while leveraging digital platforms to expand reach. Tijana Bennett, an international curator active across Europe and North America, has organised more than one hundred exhibitions, working with institutions including MEAM in Barcelona and One Art Space in New York. Together, they position the Biennale as an ongoing transnational project rather than a single event.
The inaugural London edition in 2024 took place at Chelsea Old Town Hall. A defining feature was the presence of the artists themselves, engaging directly with audiences and with one another, creating an atmosphere shaped as much by dialogue as by display.
Since then, the Biennale has developed into a recurring platform. Each edition brings together practitioners addressing themes such as identity, memory, the body, and material culture. In a field where structural imbalance persists, the project operates as both a corrective and a proposition for sustained inclusion.
Central to its approach is continuity. Visibility is treated not as a moment but as a process built through repetition and long-term commitment. The initiative accumulates meaning over time, reinforcing the idea that recognition requires ongoing space and support.
Artio Gallery underpins this framework, connecting artists with collectors, institutions, and international audiences while fostering cross-border collaboration. Through digital viewing rooms aligned with major art fairs, it links physical exhibitions to the evolving online market. Its relationship with the Biennale reflects a shared emphasis on professional development and durable networks.
This ethos will extend into B2 Atelier in London, a forthcoming sister space to Artio Gallery conceived as a more intimate site for experimentation and continued exchange. Where the Biennale gathers a wide spectrum of voices, B2 Atelier aims to provide a setting for deeper exploration and longer conversations.
As the next edition approaches, the Women in Art Biennale continues to build quietly on previous chapters rather than replacing them. It proposes an ongoing narrative shaped by participation, collaboration, and persistence — a structure that grows through return.
Women in Art Biennale, August 20th–24th, 2026, Chelsea Old Town Hall womeninartbiennale.com
