Barbara Chase-Riboud Speaks Out on Declining US Biennale Pavilion
Sculptor and author Barbara Chase-Riboud told the Financial Times that she declined an invitation to represent the United States at the 61st Venice Biennale, saying “this was not the moment.” Hyperallergic reports that the recently formed American Arts Conservancy (AAC) initially approached Chase-Riboud and photographer William Eggleston, but both declined, after which the AAC proceeded with Mexico-based American abstract sculptor Alma Allen. The selection process was disrupted after the US State Department Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs updated the $375,000 pavilion grant guidelines last May to align with President Donald Trump’s rollback of federal DEI initiatives, including language requiring proposals to “promote American values” and showcase “American exceptionalism and innovation,” while also compressing preparation time to eight months. The State Department later announced in November that Alma Allen and independent curator Jeffrey Uslip would represent the US, amid ongoing questions about the AAC’s funding and structure.
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This story was covered in Biennales Under Fire, A.I. Rewrites the Canon