Maurizio Cattelan Will Make RenBen 2026 His Canvas
The art world’s favorite benefit gala returns to Chicago with a new provocateur in command.
Summary
- Conceptual artist Maurizio Cattelan has been tapped to organize and conceive the 2026 edition of RenBen, the Renaissance Society’s annual benefit gala
- Set to take place on April 8, the event will see a full night of programming rendered through Cattelan’s provocative and witty lens
Chicago’s venerable Renaissance Society has confirmed the return of RenBen, its annual fundraiser event, with none other than Maurizio Cattelan at the helm. Lauded as one of most surreal nights on the art world calendar, the gala and the conceptual artist make for a perfect pairing.
RenBen’s format is famously unconventional: unlike typical art world benefits, the event does away with the traditional auction model, and is instead defined by its curatorial intimacy, handing full creative control to a single artist to design the night in its entirety, from the atmosphere to performance to the menu itself.
Slated for April 8 during EXPO Art Week, the 2026 edition follows Meriem Bennani’s 2025 takeover and Kevin Beasley’s in 2024. Guests can expect Cattelan’s trademark mix of mischief and provocation woven into the night’s programming.
From his solid gold toilet and duct-taped banana to the high-saturated, tongue-in-cheek signature of his co-founded TOILETPAPER, Cattelan’s artworks never fail to strike up conversation, cementing his reputation as a cultural provocateur. As he declared in a statement unveiled at Art Basel Paris, “BEING AN ARTIST IS NOT A JOB, IT’S A MALFUNCTION” – perhaps fitting preview for what RenBen 2026 will have in store.
View this post on Instagram
Check out The Renaissance Society’s website for more details on the event.
