National Representations at the 61st Venice Biennale
Cultural Policy, Curatorial Frameworks, and Strategies for International Projection
Presented by César Escandarani, CEO, Planet Partners.
Participants:
Patricia Bentancur, Curator, Uruguay Pavilion
Dermis Leon, Co-Curator, Chile Pavilion
Nahuel Ortiz Vidal, representing the Argentina Pavilion
Moderated by Laura Bardier, Director of ESTE ARTE
In Spanish, without translation.
By invitation only.
As part of the ESTE CHARLAS program, this panel proposes a critical discussion on national participations at the upcoming Venice Biennale, understood as a stage for cultural diplomacy, symbolic construction, and international visibility. Bringing together Latin American perspectives, the conversation will explore curatorial models, selection criteria, the tensions between local scenes and diasporic practices, and the strategies countries in the region deploy to position their narratives within the global art circuit. The session aims to reflect on the institutional, political, and conceptual challenges that shape Latin American presence at the Biennale, while also addressing the interplay between public support, private initiatives, and transnational networks.
Dermis P. Leon
Dermis P. Leon (1966, Havana) is a curator and researcher based in Santiago de Chile. She is Co-Curator of the Chilean Pavilion at the 61st Venice Biennale and a PhD candidate in Arts at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. Her work engages with transnational artistic practices, decolonial methodologies, and the politics of representation, developed through exhibitions, research, and publications across Latin America, Europe, the United States, Middle East, and China.
Patricia Bentancur
Patricia Bentancur (1966, Montevideo) is a curator and cultural theorist, known for her work at the intersection of contemporary art, technology, and new media. She has held senior curatorial roles at the Espacio de Arte Contemporáneo (EAC) and has developed exhibitions and programs at museums and biennials across Latin America and Europe. Bentancur is the Curator of the Uruguay Pavilion at the 61st Venice Biennale.
Laura Bardier
Laura Bardier (1976, Montevideo) is the Founding Director of ESTE ARTE and the Executive Director of the James Howell Foundation in New York. Previously, Bardier held key positions at the Cultural Department of the Municipality of Napoli (Italy) and major private collections in the United States. Bardier was a member of the National Committee of Visual Arts of Uruguay and is a Board member of ArtTable, ICI-Independent Curators International, and Creative Capital.
Nahuel Ortiz Vidal
Nahuel Ortiz Vidal is the founder and managing director of Barro, a contemporary art gallery that has played a key role in the internationalization of Argentine artists. His career began at the renowned Roldán auction house, where he joined at the young age of 22 as a third-generation member of a family devoted to the arts.