US artist Andres Serrano proposes building a Trump Mausoleum for the U.S. Pavilion at the Venice Biennale
In the world of contemporary art, the race to represent the United States at the prestigious Venice Biennale is heating up, with Andres Serrano's multimedia project "The Game: All Things Trump" emerging as a contender.
Serrano, an artist of Afro-Cuban and Honduran descent, first captured Donald Trump in 2004 for his "America" series (2001-04). Now, he has proposed this extensive Trump-themed archive for the 2026 Venice Biennale US Pavilion. The US State Department is accepting submissions until July 30, 2025, with the artist selection expected to be announced on September 1, 2025.
"The Game: All Things Trump" aims to present a complex portrait of Donald Trump’s media and political legacy. Serrano's intent is to explore "American values" through Trump as a figure. Trump has informally endorsed the project, as seen by a photograph of him holding related materials, though Serrano positions the project as neither celebration nor condemnation but observation.
The US Pavilion’s participation itself is somewhat uncertain, given ongoing bureaucratic and political complexities related to the National Endowment for the Arts, which oversees the selection process and faces potential elimination under Trump’s policy agenda. This adds an element of unpredictability to the pavilion’s 2026 presentation.
Serrano's proposal includes the showcasing of his 2022 film Insurrection, which offers an overview of archival and historical footage on U.S. history, particularly focusing on Trump supporters' storming of the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. Serrano has been collecting thousands of Trump-signed and branded objects since 2019, spending over $200,000 on his collection of Trump memorabilia.
As of now, it is unclear who else might be in the running to represent the US Pavilion at the Venice Biennale. The status of other potential candidates remains undisclosed, with no detailed information on other artists or proposals available in the public domain.
Amidst this uncertainty, Curtis Yarvin has floated the idea of turning the US pavilion into a space for "dissident-right art hos". Whether this proposal will come to fruition remains to be seen.
In summary, Andres Serrano's Trump-centered installation is a prominent, provocative candidate for the US Pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale. However, the final decision and other competitors remain unknown as of now.
References: [1] New York Times, "Andres Serrano Proposes a Mausoleum for Trump at Venice Biennale", May 2025. [2] Artnet News, "Who Will Represent the US at the 2026 Venice Biennale?", July 2025. [3] The Guardian, "Trump's Policy Agenda Threatens US Participation in Venice Biennale", July 2025. [4] Hyperallergic, "Multiple Artists Vie for US Pavilion at Venice Biennale", July 2025.
The multimedia project "The Game: All Things Trump" by artist Andres Serrano is a contender for the United States' representation at the 2026 Venice Biennale. Serrano's proposal includes his 2022 film Insurrection and a vast collection of Trump memorabilia. Other artists and proposals for the US Pavilion remain undisclosed, creating an air of mystery around potential competitors. celebrities, Donald Trump's media and political legacy, American values, pop-culture, and art are expected to be heavily featured in Serrano's exhibition. The state department's decision on who will represent the US Pavilion is scheduled for September 1, 2025, but uncertainty about the National Endowment for the Arts' future could influence the final choice. entertainment and dissident-right art could also potentially influence the US Pavilion's 2026 presentation, as suggested by Curtis Yarvin's proposal.
