Opposite:
Exterior view of the space in which to place me (Jeffrey Gibson’s exhibition for the United States Pavilion, 60th International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia), April 20 – November 24, 2024.
Forecourt sculpture: the space in which to place me (2024). Photograph by Timothy Schenck.
Above:
Jeffrey Gibson
Photos Courtesy of:
Jeffrey Gibson, US Pavilion, & Venice Biennale. Photo by Cara Romero.
This year Jeffrey Gibson became the first
indigenous artist to have a solo exhibition,
‘the space in which to place me,’ in the
American Pavilion at the Venice Biennale. The title is taken from a line within a poem by Layli Long Soldier, which references ‘politics in relation to Indigenous and a range of American histories.’
Gibson was born in Colorado Springs, Colorado, to parents who came from a background of poverty and who attended the kind of boarding schools in which so many Native American children had been abused. Of Cherokee descent, Gibson, 52, is a member of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians.
Gibson’s father was employed by the U.S. Department of Defense, which introduced Jeffrey to much of the world as the family was deployed across the globe. Gibson received a bachelor’s degree in fine art (painting) from the Art Institute of Chicago before receiving a Master of Arts (painting) from the Royal College of Art in London. He is currently an artist-in-residence at Bard College.
Gibson has identified as queer and gay. He is married to Norwegian artist Rune Olsen. Together, they have a daughter and son.
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