In RECESS, Michaela Yearwood-Dan assembles vivid paintings, ceramics, and installations that draw on her identity as a queer, Black artist. The exhibition melds botanical motifs, expressive color palettes, and references to healing, memory, and diasporic pleasure — creating immersive environments that challenge traditional narratives of Blackness and offer spaces of rest, resilience, and joy. Through layered imagery and symbolic materials, Yearwood-Dan invites viewers to engage with complex themes of identity, community, intimacy, and transformation.

Curated by Kitty Scott, with co-curators Daisy Desrosiers and Xue Tan, the 15th Shanghai Biennale transforms the Power Station of Art into a garden-like landscape where visitors are encouraged to wander, listen, and discover connections across art, nature, science, and culture. Featuring over 30 newly commissioned works, the Biennale proposes contemporary art as a space for exploring new forms of perception and coexistence amid ecological change and global uncertainty. The exhibition also extends throughout Shanghai through City Projects, performances, workshops, lectures, and public programs.