Image Credit: Alice Bucknell, Coyote Time, video game still, 2026
Envisioning a shared near future with boldness and hope in a time of global upheaval, ‘Coyote Time,’ the third triennial exhibition from St. Louis-based Counterpublic, brings together fifty new artist commissions and selected historical artworks presented at public sites throughout the city, beginning September 10. Coyote Time will present daring new artist projects, public programs and events, and long-lasting civic initiatives centering urgent crises including climate, education, and immigration.
Coyote Time derives from the title of artist Alice Bucknell’s commissioned artwork for the exhibition, marking the moment in a video game when a character leaps off a cliff and is suspended in midair, unsure of what comes next. This moment of anticipation guides the exhibition, where uncertainty creates a space for experimentation and possibility. The artworks and ideas presented in the exhibition invite audiences to inhabit Coyote Time: To take the risk of jumping into the unknown with faith, purpose, and intentionality.
KAF is proud to be a partner and supporter of Counterpublic and its mission of reimagining the possibilities of art in public life. As one of the largest public art exhibitions in the nation, Counterpublic celebrates and spotlights the St. Louis region as an epicenter of art and culture through ongoing partnerships and artistic programming.
In addition to its exciting lineup of opening weekend events, a new, permanent public stage environment titled The Switch Which by Lizzie Fitch and Ryan Trecartin with Rhett LaRue, is currently taking shape throughout the fall of 2026. Being constructed on a parcel of KAF-owned land near the site of the completed installation, Everything Under the Sun, this stage and artwork is a gift to the residents of St. Louis for all to use.
The work opens on Friday, October 23 at the Counterpublic 2026 Convening, when it transfers from the hands of artists and builders to city residents who can determine what the stage becomes. Fitch and Trecartin have long treated their sculptural sets as inseparable from performances staged on them. Part of The Switch Which‘s invitation is this building-in-public period, which asks for witness to civic infrastructure taking shape.
The stage’s construction is a ‘first act’. As The Switch Which comes into full view of the public, visitors can watch its building and landscaping unfold in phases. All are invited to see it as theirs: for staging future screenings, gatherings, and performances.
“KAF is thrilled to partner with and lift up Counterpublic in its third triennial, expected to draw artists, media and visitors from all over the world to experience everything the St. Louis artistic community has to offer, ” said KAF Executive Director Chris Hansen. “This is a win for the entire region.”
For complete information on all of the exciting events and commissions surrounding Counterpublic ‘Coyote Time,’ visit counterpublic.org.
