Zineb Sedira to Represent France at 2021 Venice Biennale

Zineb Sedira, a Franco-Algerian artist, has been selected to represent France at the 59th Venice Biennale in 2021. The news was first reported by Le Monde, which noted that Sedira is the first artist of Algerian origin to represent France at the Biennale, and only the second woman to do so since 1893, following Laure Prouvost in 2019. Sedira's work often explores intergenerational memory, immigration, and post-colonialism, as seen in her installation Mother Tongue (2002), which depicts communication breakdowns across three generations. Her recent retrospective A brief moment at the Jeu de Paume in Paris featured video, film, installation, and photography. Sedira has exhibited internationally at institutions including Palais de Tokyo, Musée d'Art Contemporain de Montréal, Tate Britain, Mori Art Museum, and Brooklyn Museum. The French Ministry of Culture and Ministry of Foreign Affairs are expected to formalize the selection. The 2021 Biennale, directed by Cecilia Alemani and presided over by Roberto Cicutto, will also feature national pavilions from New Zealand (Yuki Kihara), Australia (Marco Fusinato), Canada (Stan Douglas), and Switzerland (Latifa Echakhch).