Ota Fine Arts is pleased to announce two of our represented artists, Yoshiko Shimada and BuBu de la Madeleine, have been invited to the 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia by Koyo Kouoh. They will present works in the exhibition In Minor Keys, both individually and as their collaborative unit “Shimada+ BuBu.”
Shimada and BuBu each began their artistic practices in the 1990s, when Ota Fine Arts was based in Ebisu. Shimada’s first solo exhibition at the gallery was held in 1995 under the title Yoshiko Shimada, proceeded by a series of solo shows. In 1998, she and BuBu presented their duo exhibition Made in Occupied Japan. In the early 2000s, BuBu and Shimada held multiple solo shows, while Shimada also developed her curation practice.
From around 2010, both artists stepped away from production for a period. Shimada devoted herself to research on Japanese avant-garde art, while BuBu paused her practice due to family caregiving responsibilities. They later returned to Ota Fine Arts with separate solo exhibitions: BuBu with A Mermaid’s Territory – Flags and Internal Organs in 2022, and Shimada with It’s Not Yours to Decide! in 2023. The two artists’ long-awaited return, who have consistently raised questions around women and socially marginalized communities for more than three decades, drew significant attention and spoke directly to the present moment.
In 2025, they unveiled new collaborative works for the first time since 1998. The works, full of the duo’s distinctive irony and humor that “queers imperialism,” struck viewers with their radical sharpness.
The theme of the 61st International Art Exhibition, In Minor Keys, was conceived by Koyo Kouoh, widely noted as the Biennale Arte’s first African female curator and who passed away on 10 May 2025. Taking “minor keys” as a way to evoke emotion and sustain it, the exhibition listens closely to low and quiet tones, the hums, and the consolations of poetry, while seeking—through relation, sharing, and transcendence in the spirit of jazz—other worlds beyond the portals. We look forward to the presentation by Shimada and BuBu at the Biennale Arte 2026, a significant international stage to receive their unwavering commitment and emotionally resonated works.
Title:
The 61st InternationalArt Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia
"In Miror Keys" by Koyo Kuoh
Dates:
Sat. 9 May – Sun. 22 November 2026
Venues:
La Biennale di Venezia
Central Pavilion at Giardini and Arsenale
