Under the curatorial vision of Dr Krista Thompson, the Bahamian Pavilion will present a posthumous collaboration between the late John Beadle and contemporary artist Lavar Munroe at the 61st International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia.
Portrait of Lavar Munroe. Photo: Roy Cox
The Bahamas in Venice Committee has announced that Lavar Munroe and the late John Beadle (1964–2024) will represent The Bahamas at the 61st International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia, opening 6 May 2026. The pavilion will be curated by Dr Krista Thompson, Mary Jane Crowe Professor of Art History at Northwestern University and one of the leading scholars of Caribbean visual culture.
This marks only the second time The Bahamas will participate in the Biennale, a milestone in the nation’s cultural history. The exhibition will present a robust dialogue between two artists whose practices are deeply rooted in Bahamian art, materiality, and identity.
“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,” said Lavar Munroe. “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.”
A Dialogue Between Artists
Under Dr Thompson’s curatorial direction, the pavilion will bring together Beadle’s and Munroe’s distinct yet converging approaches through a posthumous collaboration between the two artists. Both are inspired by Junkanoo, the national processional festival that lies at the heart of Bahamian creativity, and both explore the possibilities of discarded materials and found objects.
Their shared practice foregrounds themes of transformation, resilience, and the politics of visibility. Through layering, repetition, and construction, the artists draw attention to what Dr Thompson describes as “the hidden, the undervalued, the minor notes of society and art history.”
The exhibition resonates 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 vision, engaging with ideas of collaboration, memory, and material inheritance.
Cultural Stewardship and Support
The Bahamas in Venice Committee brings together leading figures from the nation’s cultural sector dedicated to strengthening the country’s global artistic presence. Members include John Cox, Chairman of the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas (NAGB), Artistic Director at Baha Mar, and Commissioner of The Bahamas Pavilion; Maelynn Ford, Executive Director of the NAGB; Amanda Coulson, former Executive Director of the NAGB and Executor of the Pavilion; Jodi Minnis, curator and cultural worker; and representatives from the Friends of The Arts in The Bahamas (FAB) Foundation.
The pavilion’s realisation is made possible through 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). The NAGB and the Port Authority of Freeport, Grand Bahama, have provided additional support.
About the Curator
Dr Krista Thompson is the Mary Jane Crowe Professor of Art History at Northwestern University, known for her groundbreaking scholarship on Caribbean and African diasporic art. Her books An Eye for the Tropics (2006) and Shine: The Visual Economy of Light in African Diasporic Aesthetic Practice (2015) have become foundational texts in the field. With this project, Dr Thompson brings her decades-long commitment to visual histories of the Caribbean to the international stage, framing The Bahamas’ artistic practice within a broader global context.
About the Artists
John Beadle (1964–2024) was a seminal figure in Bahamian contemporary art, known for his use of found materials and his explorations of migration, labour, and belonging. His practice drew deeply from Bahamian cultural traditions while challenging formal and conceptual boundaries.
Lavar Munroe (b. 1982) is a multidisciplinary artist whose work has been exhibited internationally at venues such as the 58th Venice Biennale, the Nasher Museum of Art, and the Pérez Art Museum Miami. Working across painting, sculpture, and installation, Munroe merges personal narrative with broader political and social histories.
The Bahamas Pavilion at the 61st International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia runs from 6 May to 22 November 2026. For more information, visit La Biennale di Venezia.
