Sonic Acts Biennial 2026

Sonic Acts, the Amsterdam organisation for art, music and research, held its 2026 Biennial under the title Melted for Love, after a line by the Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish. Over eight weeks it explored how home is negotiated under climate catastrophe, colonialism and forced displacement, and how love for land and community can become a practice of repair.

The exhibition took the form of three neighbouring chapters at W139, Arti et Amicitiae and Rozenstraat, with installations, films, sound works and performances. Framer Framed presented Between Fires, on nuclear colonialism and anti-nuclear solidarity, in partnership with the Biennial; Het Documentaire Paviljoen hosted a two-week satellite exhibition of immersive installations; and Zone2Source in Amstelpark housed the Listening Room, spatial sound on an eight-channel system.

Around the exhibitions ran concerts, club nights, a symposium at the Stedelijk Museum, films, artist talks and workshops, peaking in a festival weekend from 26 February to 1 March. The exhibitions are listed below.