Jury Resignation Amid Russia Participation Dispute
The jury of the 61st Venice Biennale has resigned just days before the opening of the prestigious art exhibition, following controversy over the decision to allow Russia to participate.
The five-member international jury's resignation was announced late Thursday in a statement by the Venice Biennale organisers. This development came a day after the Italian culture ministry dispatched inspectors to Venice to investigate the decision permitting Russia to have a pavilion at this year’s event.
Following the resignations, the Biennale announced it had
“decided that the award ceremony of the 61st International Art Exhibition, previously scheduled for 9 May, will take place on Sunday, 22 November”.
It also stated that two awards would be presented, including one open to any of the
“national participations included in the 61st Exhibition, as per the official list, following the principle of inclusion and equal treatment”.
The Biennale emphasised its commitment to openness and artistic freedom, stating in a release:
“This is consistent with the founding spirit of La Biennale, based on openness, dialogue, and the rejection of any form of closure or censorship.”
“La Biennale seeks to be, and must remain, a place of truce in the name of art, culture, and artistic freedom.”
Jury's Previous Stance on Awards and Composition
Last week, the jury had declared it would not award artists from countries whose leaders face charges of crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court.
The Biennale’s jury is responsible for selecting the recipients of the Golden and Silver Lion awards from among the 110 artists participating in the exhibition, which is scheduled to open on 9 May.
The panel of judges was appointed by Koyo Kouoh, the Swiss-Cameroonian curator who was named to lead the 2026 edition of the Biennale before her passing last year. The jury was chaired by Solange Farkas and included members Zoe Butt, Elvira Dyangani Ose, Marta Kuzma, and Giovanna Zapperi.
Backlash and Political Tensions
For several weeks, the exhibition’s organisers have faced intense criticism.
Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the Biennale, one of Italy’s most significant cultural institutions, condemned the aggression and barred access to that year’s edition for individuals linked to the Kremlin. Although Russia was not formally banned from participating, it was absent from both the 2022 and 2024 editions.
This week, the European Commission sent a letter to the Biennale Foundation expressing
“concerns”regarding Russia’s involvement in the exhibition. The Biennale has 30 days to respond to this communication.
Italy’s far-right government has also clashed with the organisers over the decision to reintroduce Russia’s participation. Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli stated that the decision was
“entirely independently by the Biennale Foundation, despite the Italian government’s opposition”.The only government official to publicly support Russia’s return was Matteo Salvini, Deputy Prime Minister and leader of the far-right League party, who has been a long-time supporter of Russia.
In response, the Biennale has maintained that the exhibition is
“an open institution” that “rejects any form of exclusion or censorship of art”.
Calls for Reconsideration and Political Opposition
In March, several organisers urged the Biennale to reconsider Russia’s participation, arguing that the event must not become
“a stage for whitewashing … war crimes”.Additionally, a group of cross-party Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) published a letter condemning Russia’s inclusion as
“unacceptable”.
