The Venice Biennale is often called the Olympics of art, not just because it’s an international competition, but because navigating Venice during Biennale week requires a surprising degree of athleticism. Everyone is overbooked, racing from one opening, dinner or pavilion to the next. My step count is never higher than when I’m in Venice.
This year, however, the competitive aspect of the Biennale felt especially fraught. The jury resigned amid broader controversies surrounding national eligibility and crimes against humanity, leaving the traditional awards effectively sidelined. Without the usual focus on prizes and national victories, the atmosphere felt markedly different from previous editions. The tone was more reflective than competitive, more focused on collaboration and collective reckoning than pomp or rivalry. The mood felt attuned to the instability of the present moment. Yet, even without the formal machinery of awards, South Asia remained firmly at the centre of the conversation.
Rajiv Menon in a suit by Anita Dongre. Photographed by Gabriella Talassazan. Styled by Akshay Tyagi.
This year not only marks India’s return to the Biennale after a seven-year absence, but also the broader ascendance of South Asian artists on the global stage. I’m primarily in Venice to celebrate Rajni Perera, the Sri Lankan-Canadian artist who had her first US solo exhibition with my gallery, Rajiv Menon Contemporary, in LA last year. The Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, India’s largest contemporary art museum, is presenting a pavilion dedicated to the iconic Nalini Malani. London-based artist Faiza Butt is representing Pakistan with a pavilion exploring the psychic and geographic landscape of an undivided Punjab. Numerous Indian artists, including Sohrab Hura and Himali Singh Soin, are also participating in the Biennale’s central exhibition, In Minor Keys, curated by the late Koyo Kouoh. Together, these presentations signal a decisive shift: South Asia is no longer peripheral to the global art conversation.
In collaboration with New York-based photographer Gabriella Talassazan, I documented the many moments of a major week in Venice—both as an art lover and as a witness to South Asia’s growing presence on the global cultural stage.
