Influential Cleveland-based nonprofit gallery SPACES has been selected by the State Department to organize the U.S. Pavilion at the 2023 Venice Biennale, The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported recently. 

Under the curatorial theme of “Everlasting Plastics,” the group has said they will invite area artists Lauren Yeager, Xavi Aguirre, Simon Anton, Ang Li, and Norman Teague to explore the danger of plastic waste to the ecosystem. All pursue art that entails “thinking very seriously about systems of waste, waste production, and their impact on communities” and will be presented within the Biennale’s broader context of The Laboratory of the Future and led by former Spitzer School of Architecture dean Lesley Lokko. 

Li and Yeager are particularly noteworthy for their investigations into the use of recycled plastic as a building material and structural system, while Teague uses it as a source in his furniture-making practice. The exhibition will also focus on “communities most affected by plastic production, pollution, and environmental mismanagement” in the Midwest region, according to the Plain Dealer.

“We’re incredibly thrilled for the opportunity, the visibility, and the honor that this event confers upon us,” Spaces Executive Director Tizziana Baldenebro told the paper. “We’re representing the entire country, and we’re not taking that responsibility lightly. It’s catapulting us to an international platform.”

Baldenebro also added her hopes that the exhibition's outcome “underscores the possibilities for youth to get involved and learn and get people excited about design and the creative and artistic possibilities available.”

The group must now raise the $1 million in funds required to cover artists fees for the exhibition on top of the $375,000 grant that the State Department has already provided. The Biennale kicks off on May 20th and will run until the 26th of November. More information about SPACES can be found here.