Provocative artist Andres Serrano has unveiled plans for an unconventional US pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale—a multimedia mausoleum dedicated to President Donald Trump.
The proposed installation, titled The Game: All Things Trump, would showcase Serrano's extensive collection of Trump-branded memorabilia alongside his 2022 film Insurrection, which documents the January 6 Capitol riot.
Serrano, best known for his boundary-pushing works, began assembling his Trump collection in 2019 with the purchase of a $1,880 miniature wedding cake replica from the former president’s 2005 marriage to Melania Trump.
Since then, he has spent over $200,000 acquiring thousands of Trump-related items, many autographed. The project also includes archival footage tracing US history, positioning Trump as both a political figure and a cultural symbol.
"I can think of no one better to represent America than the president himself," Serrano stated, defending his choice.
The artist, whose past work includes portraits of Trump in his America series (2001–04), argues that the US leader embodies the contradictions of modern democracy.
"Donald Trump was elected twice as president, so if you believe in democracy, you have to say the people have spoken," he told The Art Newspaper.
"Politics are everywhere, even on the kitchen table. There’s a fine line between politics and entertainment."
The mausoleum concept carries historical weight, drawing parallels to ancient Roman monuments like the Mausoleum of Augustus.
Serrano suggests that Trump’s legacy—like that of past autocrats—merits such a tribute, whether celebratory or critical. "Many of the objects in The Game: All Things Trump reflect his sense of design," he added. "You might even call him a conceptual artist."
However, the proposal faces uncertainty. The US participation in the 2026 Biennale remains in doubt, as the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA)—which traditionally oversees the selection—could face elimination under the Trump administration. Serrano submitted his application to the State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs in May, months after the portal opened.
The artist isn’t the only one with bold plans for the pavilion. Far-right blogger Curtis Yarvin has proposed transforming the space into a hub for "dissident-right art," vowing to "Trumpify the Venice Biennale" and "reconstruct the American arts with one violent executive order."
A decision on the US representation is expected by September 1, following the July 30 application deadline.
