Venice Biennale Posters by fierce pussy Were Pulled Into a Censorship Dispute
A poster project by the lesbian artist collective fierce pussy has become one of the first controversies to surface around this year’s Venice Biennale. The group said its contribution was censored by the city before the exhibition opened, after it created posters that directly addressed queer and trans people.
One design reads “Welcome queers and trans people” in English and Italian, paired with an image of the Lion of Venice reimagined as a cat. Another says “we are queers and trans people” and lists occupations ranging from “your mortician” to “your favorite newscaster,” ending with the declaration “we are everyone.”
The collective — Nancy Brooks Brody, Joy Episalla, Zoe Leonard, and Carrie Yamaoka — had planned to paste the posters across Venice. Instead, Episalla wrote on Instagram, the work was “censored by the city.” The group responded by making stickers and placing them on walls, windows, and other surfaces typically used for advertisements.
Episalla also said that, as a concession, La Biennale installed the original posters inside the entrance of the Arsenale. A spokesperson for the city of Venice did not respond to a request for comment.
fierce pussy is participating in the Biennale through arms ache avid aeon, which is part of “In Minor Keys,” the main exhibition curated by Koyo Kouoh. That exhibition, along with 100 national pavilions, began welcoming members of the press on Tuesday.
The dispute places questions of queer and trans visibility at the center of a major international art event, where the line between public address and institutional permission can be especially fraught.
