The lesbian artist collective fierce pussy, comprising Nancy Brooks Brody, Joy Episalla, Zoe Leonard, and Carrie Yamaoka, claims that the city of Venice censored their posters for the Venice Biennale. The posters, which feature phrases like "Welcome queers and trans people" and "we are queers and trans people" alongside a list of occupations, were intended to be pasted across the city. After the city blocked the full-scale posting, the group created stickers and placed them on walls, windows, and advertising spaces. As a concession, La Biennale installed the original posters inside the Arsenale entrance.
This incident matters because it highlights ongoing tensions between institutional art exhibitions and local government censorship, particularly regarding LGBTQ+ visibility. fierce pussy's work is part of the main Biennale exhibition curated by Koyo Kouoh, and the censorship raises questions about freedom of expression in international art contexts. The collective's response—going "rogue" with stickers—underscores the persistence of activist art practices in the face of municipal restrictions.