Hyperallergic Criticizes Worst Venice Biennale Pavilions, Reports Garrido Death and Louvre Arrests
The final part of the Venice Biennale series by Hyperallergic's Hrag Vartanian and Aruna D'Souza critiques national pavilions they found unappealing. The 61st Venice Biennale is set to continue until November 22. Tragically, Venezuelan photographer Nelson Garrido passed away just days shy of his 74th birthday. Two German individuals were detained by French authorities at the Louvre for attaching artworks to a wall adjacent to the "Mona Lisa." Naomi Beckwith from Documenta 16 revealed that some artists chose not to participate due to Germany's position on the Gaza conflict. President Trump intends to transform his "Triumphal Arch" in DC into a military facility, with an estimated cost of $100 million. In Chicago, altars dedicated to La Virgen de Guadalupe act as a source of community protection. The Rabkin Foundation has revealed its 2026 prize recipients, awarding eight individuals with $50,000 each.
Key facts
- Hrag Vartanian and Aruna D'Souza published the second installment of their Venice Biennale pavilion series, criticizing pavilions they disliked
- The 61st Venice Biennale runs through November 22
- Venezuelan photographer Nelson Garrido died days before his 74th birthday
- Two German men were apprehended at the Louvre Museum after affixing two paintings near Leonardo da Vinci's "Mona Lisa"
- Documenta 16 artistic director Naomi Beckwith said some artists declined to participate over Germany's position on the Gaza war
- Trump plans to use his 250-foot "Triumphal Arch" in Washington, DC, as a military complex costing around $100 million
- The Rabkin Foundation announced 2026 winners with eight unrestricted $50,000 awards for art writers
- A Pratt Manhattan Gallery exhibition on human bodies and non-human objects runs September 25 to December 19, 2026
Entities
Artists
- Hrag Vartanian
- Aruna D'Souza
- Nelson Garrido
- Leonardo da Vinci
- Naomi Beckwith
- Danielle De Jesus
- Alison Knowles
- Leah Triplett Harrington
- Barbara Takenaga
- Jennifer Samet
- Roxane Gay
- Ed Sheeran
- Nikole Hannah-Jones
- Alfredo Jaar
- Vicki Meek
- Lisa Yin Zhang
- Hakim Bishara
- Donald Trump
Institutions
- Hyperallergic
- Venice Biennale
- Louvre Museum
- Documenta 16
- Rabkin Foundation
- Pratt Manhattan Gallery
- Bushwick Open Studios
- Nasher Sculpture Center
- New York Times
- New York Times Magazine
- NPR
- ICE
Locations
- Venice
- Italy
- Germany
- Gaza
- Washington, DC
- United States
- Chicago
- Brooklyn
- New York City
- Iowa
- Queens
- Lincoln Memorial
- Arlington National Cemetery
- France