Emerging artists from India’s indigenous tribes will represent the country at the upcoming Venice Biennale, India’s cultural authorities announced on Friday.
The news was announced by Union Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat while addressing a conference dedicated to conservation and tribal art.
India, the world’s most populous country, has had an inconsistent performance at the 125-year-old show. Its first national pavilion was held in 2011, and its second national pavilion was held in 2019. Since then, it has never had a national pavilion at the legendary arts festival.
India was not entirely lacking in representation at the last Venice Biennale: Adriano Pedrosa’s 2024 edition, titled “Foreigners Everywhere,” Twelve Indian artists were exhibited, setting a new high in the history of the main exhibition and has nothing to do with the national pavilion.
However, given recent high-profile developments in its arts infrastructure, the lack of stable representation is increasingly a concern for the international art community. India has one of the fastest-growing collector bases and some of its wealthiest patrons are preparing to open new art institutions, further boosting global interest in the South Asian art market. For example, the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA) plans to open a new building in New Delhi in 2026, the same year as the next Venice Biennale.
India has about 700 officially recognized ethnic groups with unique cultural practices and artistic expressions. Speaking at the conference, Shekhawat said the Indian government is making new investments in this artistic diversity as a cultural heritage to preserve and an economic opportunity to explore.
