The United States faces uncertainty regarding its representation at the upcoming Venice Biennale after a proposal by artist Robert Lazzarini and independent curator John Ravenal fell through due to bureaucratic complications. According to a Washington Post report, negotiations between the University of South Florida and the State Department collapsed in late September, just before a government shutdown, leaving the prestigious American pavilion without confirmed representation.
Ravenal had received both an email and phone call in early September from the US State Department, which oversees the American contribution to the Biennale, informing him that their collaborative proposal had been selected. The curator and artist had previously worked together on Lazzarini's first institutional solo exhibition at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond in 2003. They secured an institutional partnership with the University of South Florida's Contemporary Art Museum, which had mounted a two-person exhibition for Lazzarini in 2019, and submitted their proposal over the summer.
"Our goal was to create a strong, timely proposal—that's ultimately the goal," Ravenal explained in a phone interview with ARTnews. "But what we were also very interested in was, 'Is it possible, given the revised guidelines, to create a proposal that both obtains State Department approval, and is thoughtful and nuanced contemporary art?' And we were pleased to find that that was possible."
However, the collaboration unraveled when negotiations between USF and the State Department failed to reach agreement. Ravenal believes this represented "a case of two bureaucracies failing to mesh, not an example of ideological disagreement." Ultimately, USF declined to sign the required contract, while the State Department declined to comment to the Washington Post. ARTnews' requests for comment from both the State Department and USF went unanswered.
Althea Johnson, a USF spokesperson, issued a statement explaining that "the University of South Florida is honored that our proposal was selected to represent the United States," but noted that the university "was not able to accept the grant from the U.S. Department of State to participate for a number of factors, including the shortened timeline and the financial obligation required to realize the exhibition."
The proposal submission came after Ravenal and Lazzarini read a Vanity Fair article questioning the status of the US Pavilion. This year's pavilion faced significant procedural changes, including new language in the State Department's call for proposals requiring submissions to "highlight works of art that reflect and promote American values" and "foster peaceful relations between the United States and other nations."
Another major change affected the selection process itself. Historically, the winning proposal was chosen by the Advisory Committee on International Exhibitions, assembled jointly by the National Endowment for the Arts and US Department of State. However, the Trump administration's federal government overhauls caused the NEA to exclude itself from the selection process, leaving the State Department to handle it entirely. An NEA spokesperson told the Post that the organization didn't participate "because of the current time constraints and staffing transitions at both agencies."
Several other figures have publicly announced their proposals for the US Pavilion, including artist Andres Serrano and far-right blogger Curtis Yarvin, though it remains unclear whether they actually submitted formal applications through the official portal.
The financial challenges of producing the American Pavilion present ongoing obstacles. While the US government provides a grant of only $375,000, exhibitions typically require several million dollars for completion. About one-third of the government funds, approximately $125,000, is earmarked for the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice, which maintains the pavilion. Recent exhibitions have carried substantial price tags: Jeffrey Gibson's 2024 edition had a budget of around $5 million, while Simone Leigh's 2022 pavilion cost approximately $7 million, according to the New York Times. Lazzarini's proposed budget would have reached $5 million.
As curator, Ravenal would have been primarily responsible for raising the additional funds, a challenging task given the short lead time and lack of official announcement. Ravenal previously served as executive director of the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum in Massachusetts and curator of modern and contemporary art at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond. Once USF agreed to serve as institutional partner, the grant contract made the university liable for approximately $4.75 million—the amount not covered by the State Department. The contract required signing before Ravenal could inform donors of their selection and begin fundraising, but USF reportedly wanted a list of donor pledges before signing.
Lazzarini would have represented an unconventional choice for the American Pavilion, as selected artists typically possess higher profiles and more extensive credentials. Recent US representatives include established blue-chip artists such as Jeffrey Gibson, Simone Leigh, Mark Bradford, Joan Jonas, and Ed Ruscha. Lazzarini's resume, last updated in 2021 on his website, lists solo exhibitions at institutions including the Mint Museum in Charlotte (2018), the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth in Texas (2011), the FLAG Art Foundation in New York (2010), and the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum in Connecticut (2009). He has participated in numerous group exhibitions at institutions like the Tang Teaching Museum & Art Gallery and Peabody Essex Museum, as well as commercial galleries including the Hole and Marlborough Chelsea. His most notable inclusion was in the 2002 Whitney Biennial.
The Washington Post report revealed details about Lazzarini's planned pavilion concept. The exhibition would have filled the Neoclassical building with objects relating to US nationhood, including artworks based on American flags, a sculpture derived from a George Washington statue, and a sculpture based on a Civil War cannon, all executed in the artist's signature style of mathematical distortion. A large-scale sculpture based on a Civil War-era flag finial featuring an eagle was planned for installation outside the pavilion.
Ravenal's proposal statement, according to the Post, read: "As the United States approaches its semiquincentennial in 2026—there is a need for an artistic project that does more than just showcase talent—it must encourage critical engagement with American symbols and ideals in a time of great change."
Many countries have already announced their Venice Biennale representatives, including Lubaina Himid for Great Britain, Yto Barrada for France, Henrike Naumann and Sung Tieu for Germany, Abbas Akhavan for Canada, and Amanda Heng for Singapore. Countries have until January 19 to officially submit their pavilions to the Venice Biennale organizers.
The Australian Pavilion has faced particular controversy this cycle. Artist Khaled Sabsabi was initially selected in February, but his appointment was quickly canceled by commissioner Creative Australia, leading to significant outcry from the art community. In July, Creative Australia reversed course and reinstated Sabsabi, awarding him a $100,000 grant for a 2027 exhibition scheduled for October. The ongoing uncertainty surrounding the US Pavilion adds another layer of complexity to what has already proven a challenging cycle for several national representations at the prestigious international art exhibition.
