Venice Biennale Scraps Golden Lion Awards, Public to Vote on Visitor Lions

The Venice Biennale has eliminated its customary Golden Lion awards following the resignation of the awards jury last week. Instead, attendees will cast votes for 'Visitor Lions,' with the winners set to be revealed when the event concludes in November. This alteration allows Israel and Russia to be considered, despite the jury's previous intention to exclude them over allegations of crimes against humanity. In another development, construction teams working on President Trump's border wall inadvertently damaged a Native American archaeological site in Arizona, believed to be over 1,000 years old. Additionally, artist Damien Davis offers a critical perspective on how 'standard' contracts in the art sector diminish artists' influence, emphasizing the high cost of resistance compared to the risks of signing. The newsletter also features a review of Diedrick Brackens's tapestries, a guide to 15 art exhibitions in NYC this May, a studio visit with Gerardo Camargo, and a podcast with Michael Rakowitz reflecting on his exit from the 2019 Whitney Biennial.