Simone Leigh Wins Golden Lion at Venice Biennale, First Black Woman to Represent US

Simone Leigh, a 55-year-old artist born in Chicago, has become the first Black woman to represent the United States at the Venice Biennale, where she was awarded the Golden Lion. Her exhibition, titled 'Sovereignty,' transforms the US Pavilion's exterior with a thatched roof inspired by West African residences, referencing the 1931 International Colonial Exposition in Paris. Inside, works include the bronze sculpture 'Satellite,' based on a Baga mask with a satellite dish antenna, and 'Last Garment,' critiquing colonial postcards. Leigh employs a strategy she calls 'creolization of form,' blending 19th-century West African art, early Black American material culture, and colonial exhibition history. The pavilion also features collaborations with Spelman College, a historically Black women's college, whose students participated in all phases of production. Leigh's practice extends to participatory projects like 'Free People's Medical Clinic' and 'The Waiting Room,' which address healthcare disparities and community care. She founded Black Women Artists for Black Lives Matter (BWAforBLM) during her New Museum residency. The award has sparked debate about political correctness and the US's image amid Black Lives Matter, but Leigh's work emphasizes self-representation and decolonization of the gaze.