Mardi Gras masking in Venice
A master suit‑maker from New Orleans, Demond Melancon, has been named the first Black Masking Indian included in the Venice Biennale — a recognition the report likens to “winning an Oscar” for his field. (nola.com)
Demond Melancon, a New Orleans suit-maker and Big Chief, has been selected for the 2026 Venice Biennale’s main exhibition as the first Black Masking Indian included there. (nola.com) The 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia runs from May 9 to November 22, 2026, with previews on May 6, 7, and 8. Biennale organizers say the show, titled *In Minor Keys*, will be staged at the Giardini, the Arsenale, and other Venice sites. (labiennale.org) Melancon’s own site says he was invited by curator Koyo Kouoh and will show in the international exhibition in Venice. New Orleans & Company said in March that Melancon and Dawn DeDeaux are the only artists from the American Gulf South selected for this edition. (demondmelancon.com) (neworleans.com) Black Masking Indians are New Orleans groups that appear during Carnival in hand-sewn suits covered with beads, feathers, and rhinestones. New Orleans & Company says there are more than 40 tribes in the city, each with roles such as Big Chief, Spy Boy, and Flag Boy. (neworleans.com) The tradition grew in Black New Orleans neighborhoods after African Americans were excluded from mainstream Mardi Gras krewes. The Smithsonian and Louisiana State Museum trace the practice to the 1800s and describe it as a mix of Native-inspired masking, West African influence, and local Black cultural history. (smithsonianmag.com) (louisianastatemuseum.org) Melancon has been masking since 1992 and is Big Chief of the Young Seminole Hunters in the Lower Ninth Ward, according to his artist biography. He works with needle and thread to sew glass beads onto canvas and is known for building large sculptural suits around his own body. (demondmelancon.com) That work has already moved beyond Carnival routes in New Orleans. ARTnews reported in 2024 that Melancon was featured in the 2024 Sydney Biennale, and his gallery said last month that his Venice invitation centers a practice grounded in ceremony and transmission. (artnews.com) (marianeibrahim.com) The suits themselves can take most of a year to make and can weigh well over 100 pounds. CBS News reported this month that Melancon’s 2026 suit stood 10 feet tall, weighed 120 pounds, and had to be moved in a U-Haul. (cbsnews.com) For New Orleans, the selection puts a backstreet masking tradition inside one of the art world’s biggest recurring exhibitions. For Melancon, the route to Venice still runs through the same hand-sewn beadwork that first made his name on Mardi Gras morning. (nola.com)
