Simone Leigh: Simone Leigh: Sovereignty
Commissioned by the Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston
Official U.S. Presentation, 59th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia
2022
Production | Exhibition Grant
Simone Leigh will represent the United States at the 59th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia in 2022, the first time the U.S. Pavilion is entirely dedicated to the experiences and contributions of Black women. Leigh’s exhibition is commissioned by the Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston in cooperation with the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
For the U.S. Pavilion, Leigh has created a new series of figurative sculptures in bronze and ceramic that further her commitment to highlighting the labor and resilience of Black women across global histories. Drawing upon artistic traditions from within Africa and the African diaspora, Leigh uses a strategy that she terms “the creolization of form,” merging disparate cultural languages linked through histories of colonization. With these works, Leigh weaves together references to 19th century West African art, the material culture of early Black Americans, and the colonial history of international expositions. Through her process, Leigh makes transformative works that propose new frames of reference. Venice, with its centuries-long history of trade and cultural exchange, as well its tradition of honoring artisan skill, provides an apt backdrop for Leigh’s project.
The ICA has partnered with Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia, on a two-semester long seminar to engage students with Leigh’s practice and the history of the U.S. Pavilion in Venice. In Italy, the ICA is working with the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice to organize a professional development program for middle and high school educators in the Veneto region. This workshop, modeled after the ICA’s nationally recognized teen arts education program, provides educators the tools to explore the work of Simone Leigh and create curriculum designed to inspire, empower, and educate their students.
The works that comprise Leigh’s exhibition for the U.S. Pavilion will be featured in her first museum survey exhibition at the ICA in 2023, which will subsequently tour to museums throughout the United States.
For more information about the artist, the ICA Boston, and the Biennale Arte please visit www.simoneleighvenice2022.org
Image: Simone Leigh: Façade, 2022. Thatch, steel, and wood, dimensions variable. Satellite, 2022. Bronze, 24 feet × 10 feet × 7 feet 7 inches (7.3 × 3 × 2.3 m) (overall). Courtesy the artist and Matthew Marks Gallery. Photo by Timothy Schenck.
