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Simone Leigh to represent US at Venice Biennale, first Black woman to do so

exhibition · 2026-04-27

Simone Leigh has been appointed as the U.S. representative for the 2022 Venice Biennale, marking a historic milestone as the first Black woman to receive this honor. Managed by the Institute of Contemporary Art Boston, led by Jill Medvedow and chief curator Eva Respini, Leigh's exhibition includes a prominent outdoor bronze sculpture and various raffia and ceramic works, highlighting the narratives of Black women. Leigh expressed her appreciation while tackling the complexities of representing a nation entangled in issues of white supremacy. The pavilion will run from April 23 to November 27, 2022, preceding a major survey of her work at the ICA in 2023.

Key facts

  • Simone Leigh is the first Black woman to represent the US at the Venice Biennale.
  • The US pavilion is commissioned by the Institute of Contemporary Art Boston.
  • Jill Medvedow and Eva Respini lead the project for the ICA.
  • The US Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs supports the pavilion.
  • Leigh's presentation includes a monumental bronze sculpture and works in raffia and ceramic.
  • Her work explores Black female subjectivity.
  • Advisors include Nikki Greene and Paul Ha.
  • The pavilion is on view from April 23 to November 27, 2022.

Entities

Artists

  • Simone Leigh
  • Charles Fembro
  • Sharifa Rhodes-Pitts
  • Esmin Elizabeth Green
  • Eva Respini
  • Shaniqwa Jarvis
  • Martin Puryear
  • Mark Bradford

Institutions

  • Institute of Contemporary Art Boston
  • US Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
  • Atlanta University Centre Art History + Curatorial Studies Collective
  • Wellesley College
  • MIT List Visual Arts Center
  • La Biennale di Venezia
  • Venice Biennale
  • US Pavilion
  • Matthew Marks Gallery
  • ICA Boston
  • New Museum
  • Spelman College
  • Black Women Artists for Black Lives Matter
  • United Order of Tents
  • Black Panther Party
  • Artribune
  • Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston (ICA)
  • U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
  • Peggy Guggenheim Collection
  • Whitney Museum of American Art
  • Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

Locations

  • Venice
  • Italy
  • Boston
  • United States
  • Chicago
  • Paris
  • France
  • Guinea
  • Jamaica
  • Brooklyn
  • Atlanta
  • New York
  • Veneto

Sources