‘Ancestry, regeneration and reconnection with the earth’: Observer reviews Wangechi Mutu at the Biennale Arte 2026

'Hybridity between species, bodies and media unfolds through the animated film Mumbi, centered on Mount Kenya as a mythical site of creation, while Sweeper, a monumental broom of branches and human hair, continuously rearranges red earth and coffee grounds into concentric formations. Mythological sculptural presences such as MothersMound—a monumental pregnant form inspired by Makonde masks—transform the space into a cosmic garden of ancestry, regeneration and reconnection with the earth.' — Elisa Carollo

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Image: installation view of Wangechi Mutu, The End, Where All began, EdEN at the 61st International Art Exhibition — La Biennale di Venezia
Photo: Andrea Rossetti
 
 
May 11 2026