Thom Yorke and Stanley Donwood Are Bringing Their “No Go Elevator” Exhibit to Venice

by

Summary

  • Artists Thom Yorke and Stanley Donwood will present a new exhibition titled “No Go Elevator (not without no keycard)” in Venice from May 6 to June 7
  • The show features fresh ink drawings and large-scale paintings, marking a striking evolution in the duo’s three-decade collaborative partnership
  • Located at Castello 2432, the project emphasizes cryptic textual elements and unnerving terrains that evolve from their iconic visual work for Radiohead and the Smile

Around the time of the 2026 Venice Biennale, an exhibition called “No Go Elevator (not without no keycard)” by Radiohead’s Thom Yorke and artist Stanley Donwood will open on Fondamenta dei Penini. The show, running from May 6th to June 7th, promises a haunting and immersive experience. It features detailed ink drawings, often with intentional smudges and corrections, portraying vast, lonely landscapes and pyramid-shaped buildings. Donwood explains that words are an important part of the artwork, and visitors will receive a list of words on the exhibition flyer – a sort of guide – to help them navigate the show’s mysterious themes.

Following a large exhibition of their work at the Ashmolean Museum in 2025, titled “This Is What You Get,” the artistic duo is now taking on a project in Venice. The Ashmolean show looked back at over thirty years of their collaboration, starting with their work connected to Radiohead’s 1995 album, The Bends. Originally meeting as art students at Exeter University, they’ve consistently blended sound and visual art. Their early work often involved digital techniques and scanning movement, but the pandemic changed how they created. They began painting together in a shipping container in Thom Yorke’s garden, switching from digital tablets to paint and large canvases.

Previously, their work together involved creating music and visuals at the same time, particularly for the Smile project. However, Thom Yorke of Radiohead explains that these new pieces represent a clear shift towards a purely visual style, presented independently of any accompanying music. Yorke admits he used to be hesitant to be called a “visual artist,” remembering how strictly defined roles were in the music industry during the 1990s. Now, he and Stanley Donwood see creating art as a collaborative effort where they equally share and challenge each other. They work together on the same physical space, taking turns adding to it until one of them takes the lead, resulting in rich and detailed artworks. This latest exhibition, held at Castello 2432, moves their collaborative world beyond album covers and introduces it directly to the wider art world.

Castello 2432
Fondamenta dei Penini, Venice

Read More

2026-04-27 01:26