Lisbon: The Portuguese secretary of state for culture, Francisco José Viegas, has announced the choice of Joana Vasconcelos is to represent Portugal at the 2013 Venice Biennale reports Portugal Daily View. Vasconcelos recently opened a major show in the Palace of Versaille, being the first female contemporary artist to exhibit there. Viegas said that he chose Vasconcelos because her current status in the art world 'elevated Portugal’s reputation'. He added that 'it was time to correct the mistake' of never having invited her to represent her country at the Venice Biennale before. Vasconcelos has exhibited at Venice before, in 2005, in the Arsenale, where she exhibited A Noiva (The Bride), a chandelier constructed from tampons.