Judy Chicago Exhibition in Venice Explores Materiality and Feminist Art History

Galleria Alberta Pane in Venice is presenting 'The Materiality of Judy Chicago,' an exhibition curated by Allison Raddock that runs from May 8 to November 22, 2026. The show coincides with the Venice Biennale and focuses on the American artist's diverse use of materials throughout her six-decade career. Chicago, born in 1939, discusses in an interview how different media have allowed her to challenge artistic hierarchies, particularly those that have historically marginalized techniques associated with women's work, such as craft, embroidery, and porcelain painting. The exhibition is organized thematically rather than chronologically, highlighting how each material opened new expressive possibilities in relation to various series like The Dinner Party (1974-79), The Birth Project, and The Holocaust Project. Chicago notes that while her iconic installation The Dinner Party often overshadows her broader body of work, recent institutional recognition, including a 2021 retrospective at the de Young Museum in San Francisco and the 2024 exhibition 'Herstory' at the New Museum in New York curated by Massimiliano Gioni, has helped expand public understanding of her extensive output. The Venice exhibition is accompanied by a publication featuring a conversation between Chicago and Gioni, aiming to introduce European audiences to her art, values, and philosophy. Chicago reflects on themes central to her practice, including collaboration, ecological responsibility, masculinity (explored in her PowerPlay series from 1982-87), and the ethical challenges of representing trauma. She emphasizes that justice and equity for all beings, human and non-human, underlie her work. The artist also discusses her relationship with Venice, appreciating the city's artistic heritage while noting its physical fragility as a metaphor for broader environmental vulnerability. Chicago, now in her late 80s, continues to create art with her husband Donald Woodman, maintaining her commitment to feminist principles that critique patriarchal structures.