"I am elated to have been chosen, along with the late John Beadle, to represent The Bahamas at the 61st Venice Biennale, one of the world’s most prestigious platforms for contemporary art. This extraordinary opportunity offers a space to present work that critically, intellectually and artistically engages with the global audience, while celebrating the depth and creativity of Bahamian contemporary art." - Lavar Munroe.
The Bahamas in Venice Committee proudly announces The Bahamas’ participation in the 61st Venice Biennale, having appointed as the Pavilion Curator the distinguished Bahamian art historian, Dr. Krista Thompson, the Mary Jane Crowe Professor of Art History at Northwestern University and the author of seminal Caribbean art texts including An Eye for the Tropics (2006) and Shine: The Visual Economy of Light in African Diasporic Aesthetic Practice (2015). This historic achievement marks only the second time The Bahamas will participate in the biennale — a significant milestone in the nation’s cultural history.
Under Dr Thompson’s curatorial vision, the Bahamian Pavilion will present the work of the revered Bahamian artist John Beadle (1964–2024) and critically acclaimed contemporary visual artist Lavar Munroe (b 1982), with a posthumous collaboration between the late and the living artist. Both Beadle’s and Munroe’s work is deeply rooted in Bahamian artistic and social practices, like Junkanoo, the national processional festival that continues to inspire generations of Bahamian creativity. Their dialogue—grounded in the culture of The Bahamas and addressing pressing issues faced in many parts of the world—forms the conceptual and visual foundation of the Pavilion.
Resonating with the Biennale’s overarching theme, In Minor Keys, envisioned by the late Koyo Kouoh, which celebrates “artists who work at the boundaries of form and whose practices can be thought of as intricate melodies to be heard both collectively and on their own terms,” Dr. Thompson’s curatorial approach offers a distinctly Bahamian interpretation of this sentiment. The Pavilion will highlight Beadle's and Munroe's use of discarded materials and processes of artistic collaboration to call attention to the hidden, the undervalued, “the minor notes,” in society and in the art world.
The Bahamas in Venice Committee comprises cultural leaders dedicated to advancing the nation’s artistic legacy: John Cox, Chairman, NAGB, Artistic Director, Baha Mar and Commissioner of The Bahamas Pavilion; Maelynn Ford, Executive Director, National Art Gallery of The Bahamas (NAGB); Amanda Coulson, Former Executive Director, NAGB (2011–2021), and Executor of the Bahamas Pavilion ; Jodi Minnis, Curator and Cultural Worker; and representatives of the Friends of The Arts in The Bahamas (FAB) Foundation.
The Pavilion’s realization is made possible through the efforts of the FAB Foundation, established to expand opportunities for Bahamian artists and institutions. Lead sponsors include Baha Mar, The Nassau and Paradise Island Promotion Board, FUZE Caribbean Art Fair, and the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). Support has also been forthcoming from the NAGB and the Port Authority, Freeport Grand Bahama.
The 61st International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia will run from May 6 to November 22, 2026.
Portrait of Lavar Munroe copyright Roy Cox.
