Black Women Sweep the Venice Biennale, the "Olympics of the Art World"

On the 20th (local time), a large sculpture by Simon Lee decorated the entrance of the Arsenale exhibition hall at the Venice Biennale. Photo by Yonhap News

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[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Se-eun] Black female artists swept major awards at the Venice Biennale international art exhibition, known as the "Olympics of the art world."

On the 23rd (local time), the Biennale organizing committee awarded the Golden Lion "Best Artist Award" to Simone Leigh, a Black female sculptor from the United States, at the official opening ceremony and awards event.

Simone Leigh has showcased works highlighting the identity of Black women through the medium of sculpture. She also participated as the lead artist of the U.S. Pavilion, exhibiting numerous works emphasizing the existence of Black women.

Established in 1995, the Best Artist Award nominees are selected from artists invited to the main international exhibition. This year, 213 artists from 58 countries participated in the main exhibition.

Among the participants, approximately 90%, or 188 artists, were women. This marks the "highest record" in the 127 years since the Biennale's inception in 1895.

Meanwhile, the Golden Lion "Best National Participation Award" was also awarded to the British Pavilion, represented by Sonia Boyce, a Black female artist from the United Kingdom. This is the first time the British Pavilion has received this honor since the award was established in 1986.

Boyce also attracted attention with an intriguing composition that revisits the identity of Black women through music.

It became a hot topic that Black female artists with similar thematic concerns swept both the Best Artist Award and the Best National Participation Award at this year’s Biennale.

The "Special Mention Award" was given to the French Pavilion and the Ugandan Pavilion. This award is presented to national pavilions that showcase notable works and exhibition compositions.

Uganda celebrated a double joy this year by organizing a national pavilion for the first time at the Venice Biennale and winning an award on its debut.

The Korean Pavilion did not win any awards.

The Korean Pavilion, featuring installation artist Kim Yoon-chul as the lead artist who presented a large-scale installation work with a futuristic image, received positive reviews from critics and visitors but did not secure an award.

Installation artist Lee Mirae and performance artist Jeong Geum-hyeong also participated in the main exhibition but will have to wait for awards next time.

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