The Whitney Biennial 2026 opens on March 8, 2026, and the list of participating artists was recently announced. Among those selected are two ACC alumni: José MACEDA (ACC grants between 1974–1995; JDR 3rd Award 1986) and Aki ONDA (ACC 2017). 

For the 82nd edition of the Biennial, 56 artists, duos, and collectives were named to “reflect the current moment and examine various forms of relationality, including interspecies kinships, familial relations, geopolitical entanglements, technological affinities, shared mythologies, and infrastructural supports.” The Whitney Biennial is the longest-running survey of contemporary art in the U.S. Since its founding in 1932, it has been a hallmark of the Whitney Museum of American Art, evolving from early presentations focused on painting, sculpture, and works on paper to its current format—adopted in 1973—of showcasing work across all media every two years. 


Above: An image of José Maceda and an image of Aki Onda with Akio Suzuki by Goran Vejvoda

Maceda and Onda represent two different generations of ACC alumni and share a unique artistic connection. Through ACC grants awarded between 1974 and 1995, Maceda traveled from the Philippines to the United States multiple times to advance his music education and artistic practice, forging relationships with institutions, collaborators, and teachers. His grant-supported activities included visits to ethnomusicology centers; surveys of contemporary music developments in New York and across the U.S.; research at Harvard University; gathering Southeast Asian music resources from libraries and research facilities in New York; and attending the Twelfth Congress of the International Musicology Society in Los Angeles.


Above: An image of José Maceda and Indonesian composer Franki Raden in New York

22 years after Maceda’s final ACC grant—and 13 years after his passing in 2004—Onda received an ACC grant in 2017 to support a two-month research trip from the U.S. to the Philippines, Indonesia, and Japan. This project traced Maceda’s legacy and examined his influence on contemporary experimental performance. 


Above: An image of Aki Onda, Aki Takahashi, Yuji Takahashi, and Josefino Chino Toledo

ACC fellowship experiences like those of Maceda and Onda shape artists’ perspectives and deepen their engagement with global culture. We are proud to celebrate and congratulate both alumni on this exciting recognition. 

To learn more about the Whitney Biennial 2026, visit the official website here