VENICE, Italy (AP) — The world’s most prestigious contemporary art exhibition opened Tuesday in unprecedented turmoil, with the Venice Biennale’s 61st edition marked by the extraordinary resignation of its judging panel over disputes involving Israeli and Russian participation.
The controversy has shaken the foundation of this centuries-old cultural institution, creating a powder keg atmosphere as artists and visitors navigate competing political tensions within the exhibition’s historic gardens.
The stark divisions were on full display as Ukrainian artists positioned themselves beside a truck carrying an origami deer sculpture transported from Ukraine’s war-torn eastern regions to the Biennale’s famous Giardini venue. Nearby, Russian pavilion participants danced to electronic music spun by an Argentine DJ.
Meanwhile, Palestinian demonstrators marched through the gardens wearing tags bearing the names of artists killed in Gaza, with additional protests anticipated throughout the preview period.
These events have challenged the Biennale’s traditional format — featuring 100 country pavilions alongside a curated showcase of 110 artists and artistic collectives — and reignited debates about whether national representation remains relevant in today’s interconnected art world, or if it simply provides governments with propaganda opportunities.
Marie Helene Pereira, serving as one of five curators for the main exhibition titled “In Minor Keys,” believes the current upheaval demonstrates that “the existence of the nation state within the space of the exhibition” faces serious challenges.
“We can see how much that can bring tension, especially in the midst of the political chaos we find our selves,” Pereira stated.
Pereira, who joined four other curators in continuing the work of Koyo Kouoh following her death during exhibition preparations last year, emphasized that it was “important to be able to rethink structure, rethink institutions, in a way that allows for them to cater more to artists and artmaking.”
However, she clarified that removing politics from art entirely wasn’t the solution.
Before stepping down, the jury had announced it would withhold awards from nations whose leaders face International Court of Justice investigations, specifically targeting Russia and Israel.
The resignation received mixed reactions from participants. Israeli artist Belu-Simion Fainaru called the decision “a fair one.”
“I should be treated as an equal artist, and I should not be discriminated because of my race, that I am a Jew, and not because of my nationality or passport. I have to be seen as I am. I am an artist that wants to show my art, and I have the right to be evaluated,” he explained while standing before his Kabbalah-inspired installation.
According to Fainaru, the Biennale should serve as “a place where you can feel safe to create and do whatever you believe in.”
Ukrainian artist Zhanna Kadryova developed “The Origami Deer” as a replacement for a Soviet nuclear-capable fighter aircraft that previously occupied a park in Pokrovsk, located in Ukraine’s Donbas area.
Ukrainian Pavilion organizers — presenting their third exhibition since Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion — removed the sculpture from the park in 2024 while fighting raged just 5 kilometers away.
Co-curator Ksenia Malykh strongly criticized the Biennale’s choice to permit Russia’s pavilion opening, describing it as “a false attempt to stay neutral.”
“You can’t stay neutral in these times. You can’t be neutral when people are dying every day because of Russians,” Malykh declared.
“Nobody is talking about their art,” she continued. “They are only talking about the statement that they are here, and I am absolutely sure this was their goal.”
Russian representatives will limit their pavilion access to preview attendees through Friday, closing to general audiences when the Biennale begins its 6½-month public run Saturday. The pavilion has scheduled various performances this week and maintained an open bar upstairs near a blooming tree.
Russian organizers declined interview requests.
Russia’s participation has cost the Venice Biennale 2 million euros ($2.3 million) in European Union funding over three years. Exhibition officials have justified their decision by stating that any nation maintaining diplomatic relations with Italy may operate a pavilion, creating tension with the Italian government in Rome.
The official catalog featured a placeholder entry where Russian content should appear, noting that Russia’s involvement remained “under review” during publication.
Without a professional jury, the prestigious Golden Lion awards for best national pavilion and best main exhibition participant — prizes that have earned the Biennale comparisons to art’s Olympics — will not be distributed.
Instead, visitors to the Giardini and Arsenale locations will select two winners for best national and main show participants, with results announced November 22 at the Biennale’s conclusion.
Ukrainian curator Malykh argued that eliminating professionally judged awards undermines the Biennale’s credibility.
“It’s an important moment. If the prize is given by the public… It’s not a professional institution after that,” Malykh concluded.
