Last Thursday morning there was a joyful atmosphere outside the US Pavilion by Jeffrey Gibson at the 60th International Art Exhibition in Venice (until 24th November 2024).
The Colorado Inter-Tribal Dancers and the Oklahoma Fancy Dancers activated the striking sculpture outside the pavilion, interacting with eager visitors.
Some paused to capture moments with the performers in their remarkable attires, while others engaged in conversations.
While the multi-level platform inspired by classical architectures outside the pavilion is painted in bright red, the pavilion is instead covered in hand-painted murals bursting with Gibson's distinctive blend of color, pattern, and text.
Two phrases adorn the facades: the exhibition's title on the left and "We hold these truths to be self-evident" on the right, a nod to the United States' Declaration of Independence, and a hint to the integration of American documents in the artworks in the exhibition.
Eight flags, each characterized by its own unique design and mounted on twenty-foot teepee poles, surround the exterior facade.
Flags, a recurring motif in Gibson's work, symbolize here inclusivity, inviting visitors to explore a space that honors collective memory and individual experience.
Inside the pavilion, commissioned by Kathleen Ash-Milby (Curator of Native American Art, Portland Art Museum and the first Native curator to organize a U.S. Pavilion), Louis Grachos (Phillips Executive Director, SITE Santa Fe), and Abigail Winograd (Independent Curator), Gibson's art with its textures, geometries, and beadwork, exudes vibrancy and depth, while celebrating intertribal aesthetics through sculpture, multimedia paintings and video.
Throughout the pavilion, the artist also honors writers, poets, and songwriters: Gibson is indeed influenced by Oglala Lakota poet Layli Long Soldier's work - the title of the pavilion is indeed taken from Long Soldier's poem Ȟe Sápa.
A member of the Mississippi band of Choctaw Indians and of Cherokee descent, Gibson is the first Native American to represent the US solo at the Biennale.
"The Space in Which to Place Me," is an embodiment of Gibson's vision of radical inclusivity, that embraces Indigenous identities and cultural expressions, a space where the multidisciplinary artist considers his own American identity as a queer, Indigenous person.
Stepping into the first gallery of the pavilion, visitors are greeted by two imposing figures, "The Enforcer" (2024) and "WE WANT TO BE FREE" (2024).
Crafted from beads, ribbons, fringes, and tin jingles, the figures draw inspiration from traditional Native regalia.
Their glazed ceramic heads, intentionally imperfect and asymmetrical, point at Mississippian effigy pots, an ancient art form from the American Southeast.
Adorning their bodies are beaded texts: "The Enforcer"'s chest references the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments of the U.S. Constitution, known as the "Reconstruction Amendments," which abolished slavery and aimed to safeguard the civil rights of Black American citizens. There is also another reference to the Enforcement Act of 1870, which penalized interference with voting rights.
The phrase "WE WANT TO BE FREE" appears on the other figure, accompanied by references to the Indian Citizenship Act of 1924, granting basic rights to Indigenous people within U.S. borders, and the Civil Rights Act of 1866, the first federal law to define citizenship and declare all citizens equal under the law.
A mural behind the figures with the words "We are made by history," echoes Martin Luther King Jr.'s call for active engagement in shaping the future, underscoring Gibson's theme of how the past shapes our present reality.
In the second gallery, Gibson continues to explore these themes with two beaded bird sculptures, "We are the witnesses" (2024) and "If there is no struggle there is no progress" (2024), perched atop stone pedestals.
The colorful sculptures are inspired in part by Victorian-era Native-made "whimsies," objects created to appeal the taste of the time, but considered as kitsch.
In the paintings in the next gallery, Gibson integrated other types of objects: sourcing traditional Native beadwork by uknown Columbia River Plateau, Northern Plains or Western Great lakes artists (mainly bags, belts, and medallions) from websites and garage sales, Gibson attached them to felt bases and then to painted cotton rag paper.
This method allows for easy removal if a viewer identifies the object and maker. If claimed, Gibson commits to returning the work and commissioning an Indigenous artist for a replacement.
These objects add a tangible dimension to the works on paper: "ACTION NOW ACTION IS ELOQUENCE" (2024), features for example a vintage beaded belt or sash by a Columbia River Plateau or Crow artist, retaining its original curved shape.
The next room of the exhibition, the rotunda, is the heart of the pavilion, that's why the artist opted to paint it red.
Suspended at the center is one of Gibson's iconic punching bags, entitled "WE HOLD THESE TRUTHS TO BE SELF-EVIDENT" (2024). The beaded bag features cascading multi-colored fringes, illuminated against the dimly lit room, offering a space for contemplation.
The next gallery explores the theme of hybridity through three busts on marble bases, "I'M A NATURAL MAN" (2024), "Be Some Body" (2024), and Treat Me Right (2024).
The ambiguous figures with their colorful beaded skin and intricate hair, blend various cultural and aesthetic influence.
Vintage pinback buttons with advocacy slogans (such as the slogan "If we settle for what they're giving us, we deserve what we get!") are integrated into the beadwork, blurring historical boundaries.
Surrounding the busts are related works on paper and large-scale paintings, including "THE RETURNED MALE STUDENT FAR TOO FREQUENTLY GOES BACK TO THE RESERVATION AND FALLS INTO THE OLD CUSTOM OF LETTING HIS HAIR GROW LONG" (2024), referencing a 1902 directive from the Commissioner of Indian Affairs to the Superintendent of the school district of Round Valley, California, in which a directive is given for male Indians to cut their hair to "hasten their progress towards civilization."
The busts, with their long hair made with ribbons and beads in vibrant colors, symbolize dissidents as they reject the assimilationist directive.
In the final gallery of the exhibition, Gibson envelops viewers in an immersive video installation.
"She Never Dances Alone" (2020), originally showcased in New York's Times Square, unfolds across nine screens, projecting the performance of artist and dancer Sarah Ortegon HighWalking (enrolled Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho) as she executes the Jingle Dress Dance, a powwow tradition originating from the Ojibwe tribe.
This centuries-old dance, primarily performed by women, invokes ancestral strength, protection, and healing. Accompanied by the rhythms of First Nations electronic group The Halluci Nation (the track, in case you're wondering, is "Sisters" featuring Northern Voice), Ortegon HighWalking moves gracefully in her dresses adorned with jingles or rows of ziibaaska'iganan (metal cones).
As the dance unfolds, her image multiplies across screens, symbolizing the enduring presence of Indigenous women throughout generations and their resilience for the years ahead.
Within the pavilion, there's ample space for contemplation and introspection, yet there's also a palpable sense of hope as Gibson's invites visitors to take in all his kaleidoscopic geometries characterised by their ultra-bright eye-popping colours, consider the quotes and think about a future shaped by acceptance and healing, something that the cathartic and mesmerizing dance of Sarah Ortegon HighWalking makes you feel it is not just conceivable, but entirely achievable.
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Graphically quick yet impactful, Gibson's art lends itself perfectly to fashion as well: last year the artist took part in the eighth edition of Dior's Lady Art project that commissions to artists and creative minds limited editions of the iconic Lady Dior handbag. For that occasion Gibson adorned Dior's iconic bag with his beaded patterns.
You can bet more fashion houses will ask Gibson for a collaboration after this colorful yet deeply intense and educational pavilion celebrating the resilience of Native people. And if that happens you can expect he will embrace it with integrity: as U.S. Pavilion Commissioner and Curator Kathleen Ash-Milby states in a press release, Gibson follows a fundamental idea - that we can choose to express ourselves differently and still remain true to our values and our identity.
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Image credits for this post
Image 2. Exterior view of "the space in which to place me", Jeffrey Gibson's exhibition for the United States Pavilion, 60th International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia, until November 24th, 2024. Forecourt sculpture. Photograph by Timothy Schenck.
All other images, Jeffrey Gibson's exhibition for the United States Pavilion, 60th International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia. Photographs by Anna Battista.
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