In Venice, Helter Skelter: Arthur Jafa and Richard Prince brings together two artists who use images in bold and direct ways. On view at Ca’ Corner della Regina from 9 May to 23 November 2026, the exhibition is curated by Nancy Spector. It focuses on the work of both artists connect.

They work with images taken from everyday life, films, music, magazines, social media, and popular culture and use these sources openly, selecting and changing them to create new meaning. Both Jafa and Prince are influenced by Marcel Duchamp and his idea of the readymade, taking something from the real world and presenting it as art. Here, that idea is applied to images. The artists take what already exists and give it a new context

Jafa’s work is shaped by his experience as a Black American. His films and images often bring together beauty, and difficult histories. Prince’s work looks at American identity in a different way, often focusing on masculinity, desire, and media culture. His tone can feel more distant or ironic. Despite these differences, both artists are interested in how images shape how we see the world.

The exhibition includes more than fifty works, from video and photography to painting and sculpture. There are also new works by both artists, as well as a zine they created together using images they shared during the process. This adds a sense of dialogue to the exhibition.

The works are shown side by side, across two floors of the building. This creates simple but strong contrasts. Certain themes appear again and again without being explained directly. Visitors are left to make their own connections.

The title Helter Skelter, taken from a song by The Beatles, suggests disorder and intensity. It reflects both the exhibition and the culture it draws from. Rather than telling a clear story, the exhibition builds a picture through fragments. It shows how images, familiar, repeated, and reused, can carry meaning in different ways.

In the end, Helter Skelter is about looking again. By placing these works together, the exhibition reveals how images can be changed, questioned, and understood differently.

Images: Arthur Jafa, Mickey Mouse was a Scorpio, 2017 (detail). Private collection © Arthur Jafa / Midnight Robber © Photo: Ian Watts.TV. Richard Prince, Graduation, 2018. Collection of Larry Gagosian © Richard Prince.