Haitian-American artist and curator Edouard Duval-Carrié has been selected to represent Haiti at the 61st Venice Biennale, titled "Smaller Keys." Ahead of the exhibition, he is opening his Little Haiti studio for a rare one-night preview on Friday, April 24, organized alongside the Tout-Monde Art Foundation. The preview includes a conversation with art historian Erica Moiah James and features works that were not sent to Venice but share the same themes of Haitian history, African connections, and diaspora. Duval-Carrié's Biennale theme centers on the question, "What did Africa bring to the world?" His selection was posthumously confirmed from the notes of chief curator Koyo Kouoh, the first African woman appointed to the role, who passed away last year.
This matters because Duval-Carrié's participation marks a significant moment for Haitian representation at one of the world's most prestigious art events, amplifying narratives of Haiti's revolutionary history and cultural contributions on a global stage. The studio preview also underscores the importance of community access, allowing local audiences in Miami's Little Haiti neighborhood to engage with the artist's work before it gains international visibility. The story highlights ongoing efforts to preserve and share Caribbean histories through contemporary art, while also reflecting the fragility of institutional memory after the loss of a pioneering curator.