Venice Biennale Jury Resigns Over Russia and Israel Participation

The entire international jury of the Venice Biennale has tendered their resignations amid pressure caused by the Italian cultural exhibition's decision to allow Russia and Israel to participate. In early March, the Venice Biennale Foundation unveiled the line-up of the 2026 art fair, which runs from May 9 through November 22. Russia was included in the list for the first time since 2022, with its "The tree is rooted in the sky" exhibition. The event organizers noted, however, that the display would be strictly closed to the general public. Nevertheless, the decision to allow Russia to participate has provoked harsh criticism from the Italian government and EU officials. According to a press release published on Thursday, jury president Solange Farkas, as well as Zoe Butt, Elvira Dyangani Ose, Marta Kuzma, and Giovanna Zapperi handed in their resignations. In their resignation letter, the jury members cited their previous statement last week, in which they refused to consider the works that represent "countries whose leaders are currently charged with crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court." While not mentioning any nations directly, the jury was evidently referring to Russia and Israel, whose leaders are subject to ICC arrest warrants – something both countries have rejected. In the wake of the jury's resignation, the Venice Biennale organizers have announced that the awards ceremony, originally slated for May 9, would instead be held on November 22, given the "exceptional nature of the ongoing international geopolitical situation." Commenting on the development in a post on X on Friday, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrey Sibiga claimed that by inviting Russia, the event organizers have harmed the Venice Biennale. He added that there was still time to reverse their decision. Meanwhile, last Thursday, European Commission spokesman Thomas Regnier confirmed that Brussels would carry through on its previous threat to withhold a €2 million ($2.34 million) grant from the Venice Biennale. Mikhail Shvydkoy, a Russian presidential aide for international cultural cooperation, characterized the commission's decision as "disgraceful," with Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova similarly denouncing it as a "relapse into anti-culture." Speaking to the press, Russian art critic Elizaveta Likhacheva described the sum in question as too insignificant for the Venice Biennale's organizers to pay attention to. Earlier this week, Italian media reported that the country's Ministry of Culture had sent inspectors to check on the event organizers' compliance with EU sanctions against Russia. As for Israel, the country did not take part in last year's Venice Architecture Biennale, citing renovations to its pavilion. This year, however, the Jewish state is among the nations invited to the art fair. In mid-March, some 178 artists participating in the event signed an open letter calling for Israel's exclusion, citing its ongoing military campaign in Gaza, which has been marked by widespread civilian casualties.