Trump-Era American Artists Dominate 2019 Venice Biennale

The 58th Venice Biennale, curated by Ralph Rugoff, features a strong contingent of African American and diaspora artists whose works address race, inequality, and nationalism. Rugoff, an American from New York educated at Brown University, selected artists including Arthur Jafa (winner of the Golden Lion), Otobong Nkanga (special mention), and lifetime achievement awardee Jimmie Durham. Jafa's installations—a threatening tire sculpture at the Arsenale and the video 'White Album' at the Giardini—explore black power and racial conflict. Kahlil Joseph presents 'BLKNWS,' a video installation remixing black-centric media. Stan Douglas's 'Scenes from the Blackout' imagines civil disobedience in New York. Henry Taylor's acrylics confront inequities facing African Americans. Njideka Akunyili Crosby's portraits examine the black body as a cultural surface. Otobong Nkanga's 26-meter glass and marble installation evokes polluted rivers in Nigeria. Frida Orupabo's collages critique the use of black women's bodies. Kemang Wa Lehulere's works reference South Africa's apartheid legacy. Zanele Muholi's photographs document black LGBTQ+ lives. The Biennale runs from May 11 to November 24, 2019.