{"componentChunkName":"component---src-templates-article-js","path":"/margaret-whyte-on-representing-uruguay-at-the-61st-venice-biennale/","result":{"data":{"wordpressPost":{"id":118055,"slug":"margaret-whyte-on-representing-uruguay-at-the-61st-venice-biennale","title":"Margaret Whyte on Representing Uruguay at the 61st Venice Biennale","excerpt":"“I really don’t know what people know or don't know about my country, except perhaps soccer”","content":"\n<p><strong>“I really don’t know what people know or don&#8217;t know about my country, except perhaps soccer”</strong></p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>ArtReview</em>&nbsp;sent a&nbsp;<a href=\"https://artreview.com/category/venice-questionnaire/\">questionnaire</a>&nbsp;to artists and curators exhibiting in and curating the various national pavilions of the 2026 Venice Biennale, the responses to which will be published daily in the leadup to and during the Venice Biennale, which runs from 9 May through 22 November.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Margaret Whyte is representing Uruguay; the pavilion is in the Giardini.</p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Celebrating Visions. Versace partners with </em>ArtReview<em> to share stories from the 2026 Venice Biennale.</em></p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"https://backend.artreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Margaret-Whyte-Artist-portrait-2025_Ph-Sabrina-Srur-1-1230x1230.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-118061\" srcset=\"https://backend.artreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Margaret-Whyte-Artist-portrait-2025_Ph-Sabrina-Srur-1-1230x1230.png 1230w, https://backend.artreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Margaret-Whyte-Artist-portrait-2025_Ph-Sabrina-Srur-1-600x600.png 600w, https://backend.artreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Margaret-Whyte-Artist-portrait-2025_Ph-Sabrina-Srur-1-300x300.png 300w, https://backend.artreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Margaret-Whyte-Artist-portrait-2025_Ph-Sabrina-Srur-1-768x768.png 768w, https://backend.artreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Margaret-Whyte-Artist-portrait-2025_Ph-Sabrina-Srur-1-1536x1536.png 1536w, https://backend.artreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Margaret-Whyte-Artist-portrait-2025_Ph-Sabrina-Srur-1.png 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1230px) 100vw, 1230px\" /><figcaption>Photo: Sabrina Srur</figcaption></figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>AR </strong><em>Tell </em>ArtReview <em>what you plan to exhibit in Venice. What has influenced or inspired you?&nbsp;&nbsp;</em></p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Margaret Whyte</strong> Over a year ago, I had an exhibition at the National Museum of Visual Arts in Uruguay titled&nbsp; <em>Tiempo de Escuchar</em> (Time to Listen), curated by Patricia Bentancur, who is also my curator at the Venice Biennale. In fact, Bentancur made the connection between my work and Nassim N. Taleb and his book <em>Antifragile</em> (2012). Patricia knows me very well, the way I think and work. She also has the ability to put my intuitions and anxieties into words. And when I started reading Taleb, I felt a deep connection. The work I am presenting in Venice is a continuation of my previous work, but now with Taleb’s philosophical foundation. It speaks of chaos, uncertainty and mistakes. The antifragile person endures all these vicissitudes and has the flexibility to change course. This largely aligns with my own way of thinking.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>AR </strong><em>In what ways (if at all) does your work relate to the theme of the Biennale exhibition, </em>In Minor Keys<em>?&nbsp;</em></p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>MW</strong> An antifragile person has the ability to face setbacks with greater fortitude, and it is a&nbsp; strengthening exercise. This complements what Koyo Kouoh’s <em>Minor Keys</em> proposes. Being antifragile makes one better equipped to practice something as necessary as silence, or gives one the capacity to hear what silence has to say; it involves letting feelings, emotions, and empathy flow in order to return to the source and allow the authentic Self to emerge. I believe that antifragile people have a greater capacity for understanding and an aptitude for practicing&nbsp; what Koyo Kough proposes with <em>Minor Keys</em>: an emotional and sensory experience that takes us away from this hectic world to refine our listening, our subtlety, our affectivity, and our healing abilities. In this way, we discover our true Self.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>AR </strong><em>Why is the Venice Biennale still important, if at all? </em><em>&nbsp;</em></p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>MW </strong>The Biennale is very important for showcasing art in its various forms and from the diverse perspectives of artists and curators. At a personal level, it gives me the opportunity to exhibit my work to the world and interact with other artists.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>AR </strong><em>What role does a national pavilion play at a time of increasing confrontational&nbsp; nationalisms? Is it about expressing difference or commonality?&nbsp;</em></p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>MW </strong>Politics and ideology are embedded in art, and I imagine each country will have a different&nbsp; stance. Sometimes these kinds of global events are used to highlight such positions. Probably in some cases to emphasize differences, and in others to seek common ground. What I can say is that I had complete freedom in the conception and creation of my work.</p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"https://backend.artreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/7_Margaret-Whyte-casco-2025_Ph-Sabrina-Srur-1230x820.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-118071\" srcset=\"https://backend.artreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/7_Margaret-Whyte-casco-2025_Ph-Sabrina-Srur-1230x820.png 1230w, https://backend.artreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/7_Margaret-Whyte-casco-2025_Ph-Sabrina-Srur-600x400.png 600w, https://backend.artreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/7_Margaret-Whyte-casco-2025_Ph-Sabrina-Srur-300x200.png 300w, https://backend.artreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/7_Margaret-Whyte-casco-2025_Ph-Sabrina-Srur-768x512.png 768w, https://backend.artreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/7_Margaret-Whyte-casco-2025_Ph-Sabrina-Srur-1536x1024.png 1536w, https://backend.artreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/7_Margaret-Whyte-casco-2025_Ph-Sabrina-Srur.png 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1230px) 100vw, 1230px\" /><figcaption><em>casco</em>, 2025. Photo: Sabrina Srur. Courtesy the artist</figcaption></figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>AR </strong><em>Who, for you, is the most important artist (in any discipline) that your country has&nbsp; produced?&nbsp;</em></p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>MW </strong>I don’t think there is such thing as one single important artist. But I do admire artists in their&nbsp; different disciplines and periods, not necessarily one better than the other, just different.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p>I could mention Rafael Barradas, Petrona Viera, Lacy Duarte, Wifredo Díaz Valdéz, just to mention four of a much longer list of important Uruguayan artists.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>AR </strong><em>What is something you want people to know about your nation that they might not know&nbsp; already?&nbsp;&nbsp;</em></p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>MW </strong>Uruguay is a small country with a small population and it doesn’t usually make the headlines.&nbsp; However, it ranks well in international lists of democracies and social welfare. I really don’t know what people know or don&#8217;t know about my country, except perhaps soccer. Many&nbsp; foreigners – Europeans, North Americans, Latin Americans – choose Uruguay as a country to live or retire in.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>AR </strong><em>Given that you are exhibiting in a national pavilion, is there something (a quality or an&nbsp; issue or attitude) that distinguishes the art of that nation from that of others? That makes it&nbsp; particular? Are there specific contexts that it responds to? Or do you think that art is a&nbsp; universal language that goes beyond social, political or geographic boundaries?&nbsp;&nbsp;</em></p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>MW </strong>The artist always has a territoriality, a connection to local reality. People see the world from the place they stand, so perspectives always are from a specific place. This influences art. But human beings are universal; they share the same instincts. And in a globalized world where distances shorten, concerns overlap. Different artistic movements are sometimes more territorial and other times more global.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>AR </strong><em>What, other than art, are you looking forward to seeing – or doing – while you are in&nbsp; Venice?&nbsp;&nbsp;</em></p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>MW </strong>The chance to admire, discover and savour the rich history of this vibrant, unique and&nbsp; cosmopolitan city, full of surprises. To wander through its mysterious small streets.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>AR </strong><em>Could you give us a brief overview of your average working day while creating your&nbsp; presentation in Venice?</em></p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>MW </strong>The work has been a long process, difficult to measure in hours or routines. First, there is the&nbsp; work of thinking, of developing an idea, a concept, to then transform it into a tangible work. My art has always been very organic and material. Translating an idea into something tangible is full of difficulties, trials and errors, and I work a lot with errors, as they make concepts and paths more flexible.&nbsp;</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>AR </strong><em>Can art really change the world?&nbsp;</em></p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>MW </strong>Art, in all its forms, is a fundamental cog in the engine of change. It reflects its time, the&nbsp; yearning for social, political and philosophical change. It is part of a process. And sometimes the changes take time to take hold because there is always resistance. In some cases, contemporary art is ephemeral, but we also live in a world where disposability reigns; ideas change rapidly, technology advances at breakneck speed, and what is cutting-edge today is no longer so tomorrow. This rapid pace obscures the essence of being human, and so we return to the theme of the Biennial: the ‘Minor Keys’; the importance of pausing and stepping away for a moment from the whirlwind of today&#8217;s world.</p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n\n\n\n<p><em>The&nbsp;</em><a href=\"https://artreview.com/category/venice-biennale-2026/\"><em>61st Venice Biennale</em></a><em>&nbsp;runs 9 May through 22 November 2026</em></p>\n","path":"/margaret-whyte-on-representing-uruguay-at-the-61st-venice-biennale/","format":"standard","date":"03 May 2026","rawDate":"2026-05-03T15:29:34.000Z","branch":{"name":"artreview.com"},"author":{"name":"ArtReview","path":"/author/artreview/"},"category":{"name":"Venice Biennale: Artist Q&As","path":"/category/venice-questionnaire/"},"featured_media":{"source_url":"https://backend.artreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Margaret-Whyte-Artist-portrait-2025_Ph-Sabrina-Srur-1.png","caption":"","alt_text":"","media_details":{"width":2000,"height":2000,"sizes":{"thumbnail":{"source_url":"https://backend.artreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Margaret-Whyte-Artist-portrait-2025_Ph-Sabrina-Srur-1-300x300.png","width":300,"height":300},"medium":{"source_url":"https://backend.artreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Margaret-Whyte-Artist-portrait-2025_Ph-Sabrina-Srur-1-600x600.png","width":600,"height":600},"large":{"source_url":"https://backend.artreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Margaret-Whyte-Artist-portrait-2025_Ph-Sabrina-Srur-1-1230x1230.png","width":1230,"height":1230},"wordpress_1536x1536":{"source_url":"https://backend.artreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Margaret-Whyte-Artist-portrait-2025_Ph-Sabrina-Srur-1-1536x1536.png","width":1536,"height":1536},"wordpress_2048x2048":null}}},"acf":{"article_artist":null,"article_video":null,"article_audio":null,"article_collaboration":"","article_custom_html_snippet":"","article_featured_title":"","article_featured_description":"","article_highlight":false,"article_custom_link_url":"","hero_image":null,"seo_title":"Margaret Whyte on Representing Uruguay at the 61st Venice Biennale","seo_description":"ArtReview sent a questionnaire to artists and curators exhibiting in and curating the various national pavilions of the 2026 Venice Biennale, the responses to which will be published daily in the leadup to and during the Venice Biennale, which runs from 9 May through 22 November. Margaret Whyte is representing Uruguay; the pavilion is in the Giardini.","article_related_articles":[{"id":118167,"title":"Pavel Brǎila on Representing Moldova at the 61st Venice Biennale","path":"/pavel-braila-on-representing-moldova-at-the-61st-venice-biennale/","author":{"name":"ArtReview","path":"/author/artreview/"},"category":{"name":"Venice Biennale: Artist 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