Artist Andres Serrano has proposed a mausoleum dedicated to Donald Trump for the US pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale. The project, titled "The Game: All Things Trump," would feature thousands of Trump-signed and branded objects Serrano has collected since 2019, along with his 2022 film "Insurrection" about the January 6 Capitol attack. Serrano submitted the proposal to the US State Department Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, though US participation in the Biennale remains uncertain due to potential elimination of the National Endowment for the Arts under Trump.
The proposal matters because it reignites debates about art, politics, and national representation at one of the world's most prestigious art exhibitions. Serrano, known for provocative works like "Piss Christ," frames Trump as both a subject and a conceptual artist, while the mausoleum concept evokes comparisons to ancient Roman dictators. The uncertainty around US participation and competing proposals, including one from far-right blogger Curtis Yarvin, underscores the politicized nature of the pavilion selection process and the broader cultural battles over American identity.