The administration of the United States Pavilion at the Venice Biennale has taken an unconventional turn. Jenni Parido, a 37-year-old former luxury pet food store owner from Florida with no professional background in the arts, has been named commissioner of the federally sponsored exhibition. Her transition from selling high-end venison nuggets to overseeing a cornerstone of global cultural diplomacy marks a significant departure from the establishment-heavy appointments that typically define the role.
The path to the pavilion’s final roster has been similarly complex. Parido appointed Jeffrey Uslip as curator, a figure whose previous tenure in St. Louis was marked by controversy. While sculptor Alma Allen was ultimately selected to represent the U.S., the process reportedly saw several high-profile artists, including William Eggleston and Barbara Chase-Riboud, decline or withdraw from participation. Allen has characterized his work as existing outside the realm of party politics, leaving the pavilion’s eventual reception to the judgment of its international audience.
In a separate development for art historians, a physical link to 17th-century English portraiture has resurfaced. A memento mori pendant featured in John Souch’s 1635 painting, *Sir Thomas Aston at the Deathbed of His Wife*, was recently discovered. The painting, a somber depiction of grief held by the Manchester Art Gallery, shows Aston wearing the jewelry in memory of a deceased son. The pendant’s reappearance offers a rare, tangible connection to the domestic tragedies and mourning rituals captured on Souch’s canvas four centuries ago.
With reporting from ARTnews.
Source · ARTnews
