Big Chief Demond Melancon, Amistad Takeover, 2026. Photos by Jeffery Johnston. Courtesy of the Artist
Biennale d'Arte di Venezia 2026: la guida di Harper's Bazaar ai Giardini
Written by Vito De Biasi for Harper’s Bazaar Italia, this guide to the Giardini approaches In Minor Keys through its recurring material languages: textiles, embroidery, clay, and craft. Moving through the Central Pavilion, the article reflects on how hand-worked materials and slower processes of making function as acts of healing, resistance, and cultural transmission within the curatorial framework established by Koyo Kouoh.
Opening with Big Chief Demond Melancon’s monumental feathered ceremonial suit, the article positions his work as a defining introduction to the exhibition’s central themes. De Biasi describes Melancon’s practice in relation to healing, syncretism, spirituality, and homage to nature, emphasizing the significance of textiles and beadwork within the Black Masking traditions of New Orleans. Positioned near the entrance of the Pavilion, the work connects these living cultural traditions to broader diasporic histories explored throughout the Biennale, framing Melancon’s presentation as one of the exhibition’s clearest expressions of ritual, resilience, and embodied cultural memory.
