New World School of the Arts Alum Leonardo Castañeda Selected for the 2026 Whitney Biennial

Leonardo Castañeda, a 2006 visual arts alumnus of New World School of the Arts (NWSA), has been selected to participate in the 2026 Whitney Biennial—one of the most significant honors in contemporary American art. Now in its 82nd edition, the Whitney Biennial is the longest-running survey of American art and a defining platform for artists shaping the cultural moment.

The 2026 Biennial centers on themes of relationality, examining how we connect—to one another, to technology, across species, and within complex geopolitical systems. Castañeda’s inclusion places him among 56 artists, duos, and collectives whose work reflects these urgent and evolving conversations.

Castañeda’s practice operates at the intersection of virtual reality, gaming, painting, performance, and interactive sculpture. His work critically deploys and dismantles the socio-economic, racial, mythological, and post-human structures embedded within video games, offering layered narratives that are at once immersive and incisive.

“Selection for the Whitney Biennial represents one of the highest distinctions in contemporary American art,” noted New World School of the Arts leadership. “Leo Castañeda’s inclusion is a powerful affirmation of the rigor, innovation, and critical engagement that define his work—and a testament to the impact of strong arts education in shaping artists whose voices resonate nationally and internationally.”

Curator Drew Sawyer shared insight into the selection process, noting that after more than 300 studio visits, the curatorial team was drawn to artists exploring forms of relationality, particularly through infrastructures. In addition to artists from 25 U.S. states, the Biennial includes participants from regions shaped by the reach of U.S. power, including Afghanistan, Chile, Iraq, Okinawa, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and Vietnam—creating space for work that is intimate, improvised, and contested.

Born in Cali, Colombia in 1988, Castañeda is a graduate of the NWSA visual arts high school program. He earned his BFA from Cooper Union in 2010 and his MFA from Hunter College in 2014. His career includes notable residencies such as SOMA Summer in Mexico City (via the Cisneros Foundation), Khoj International Artists’ Association in New Delhi, and the Bronx Museum’s AIM program. He has also served as a Visiting Instructor at Florida International University and taught 3D animation at New World School of the Arts from 2021 to 2023.

The Whitney Biennial, founded in 1932 by Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, has evolved from an invitational exhibition into a comprehensive, cross-media survey of contemporary art. Since becoming a biennial in 1973, it has featured more than 3,600 artists, including fellow NWSA alumni Hernan Bas, Bert Rodriguez, and Adler Guerrier.

The 2026 Whitney Biennial opens March 8, 2026, occupying much of the Whitney Museum’s Meatpacking District location and featuring an expansive schedule of performances, public programs, and digital content.

New World School of the Arts remains a Florida center of excellence in visual and performing arts education, offering conservatory-style training through a partnership with Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Miami Dade College, and the University of Florida—continuing its mission to cultivate the next generation of influential creative voices.