Big Chief Demond Melancon at the Corderia dell’Arsenale in Venice, 2026 Biennale

Big Chief Demond Melancon, Severed arm, at the Corderia dell’Arsenale in Venice, 2026 Biennale

Big Chief Demond Melancon On the left, the throne of the African chief deported to America aboard the sailing ship; on the right, the scorching railway tracks of the train taking her to the place of her enslavement, and the hand pointing to the black man in the centre.

The black man who has broken his chains and asserts his regained dignity by holding his ancestral spear.

Demond Melancon is an artist living in New Orleans, where he is also the chief of the Young Seminole Hunter tribe, whilst being regarded as a central figure in Black Masking culture.

Black Masking culture dates back to the era of African slavery in the United States and continues to exist through ceremonies and public celebrations, one of the main ones being Mardi Gras, which marks the end of the carnival.

Each of the tribes of New Orleans is led by its chief, dressed in his highly sought-after ceremonial attire.

Big Chief Demond Melancon’s works, created using glass beads and presented for the 2026 Venice Art Biennale, pay homage to Black Masking culture.

Big Chief Demond Melancon