The Venice Biennale, often described as the Olympics of the art world, is set to begin previews on Tuesday amid several controversies. Key flashpoints include the sudden death of a curator, Russia's surprise participation despite ongoing geopolitical tensions, and an unconventional entry from the United States. These developments have intensified scrutiny and debate around the prestigious international exhibition.
Nailya Allakhverdiyeva, the longtime director of the PERMM Museum of Contemporary Art in Perm, Russia, has fled the country following escalating intimidation and a raid by security forces. Despite her efforts to maintain the institution's integrity through strategic compromises and "Aesopian language" to navigate tightening censorship, the pressure became untenable after she was interrogated and her home was searched by the F.S.B. in connection with activist Pyotr Verzilov.
The Venice Biennale has announced it will eliminate the Golden and Silver Lions for the 2026 edition, replacing them with Visitor Lions chosen by popular vote. The prizes, traditionally awarded on opening day (May 9), will now be presented at the closing ceremony (November 22). Russia and Israel, previously barred from consideration by the prize jury due to ICC charges against their leaders, will be eligible for the new Visitor Lions. The decision follows the mass resignation of the original prize jury after they excluded those nations and faced pressure to also ban the US.
Le donne di Grigory Gluckmann in mostra al Museo Archeologico di Aosta
The Museo Archeologico Regionale di Aosta is hosting the first Italian exhibition dedicated to Grigory Gluckmann (1898–1973), a Belarusian-born American painter. Curated by Daria Jorioz and Valeria Gorbova, the show, titled "Grigory Gluckmann. Tra luce e grazia," runs until June 2, 2026, and features works centered on the female figure. Gluckmann's career spanned Russia, Berlin, Florence, Paris, and the United States, and his style blends Renaissance techniques with modern sensibility.
At the 2026 Venice Biennale, two seagulls built a nest in front of the Polish Pavilion in the Giardini. Organizers chose to protect the nest with a small fence and a sign, turning it into an unofficial "Nature Pavilion." The birds share incubation duties equally, drawing large crowds who pause to watch their cooperative behavior amid the Biennale's intense geopolitical tensions, including protests against the Russian Pavilion, pro-Palestinian actions, and debates over Israel's cultural role.
Gli ispettori del Ministero della Cultura in Biennale presentano relazione: il padiglione Russia resterà chiuso
Italian Ministry of Culture inspectors have submitted a report to the Prime Minister's office regarding Russia's participation in the 2026 Venice Art Biennale. The report concludes that Russia did not receive a formal invitation from the Biennale Foundation to participate, nor did it sign the participation agreement—a situation shared by other countries with permanent pavilions. While Russia submitted a project and appointed a commissioner, its pavilion will remain closed to the public due to EU sanctions, though a private vernissage may proceed. The report finds no serious violations that would cancel Russia's participation, but notes critical issues that warranted more caution. The international jury resigned en masse after announcing it would not consider countries whose leaders are accused of crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court, including Russia and Israel, and after an Israeli artist threatened a discrimination lawsuit.
Thousands of artists, cultural workers, and protesters marched through Venice on May 8, 2026, one day before the opening of the 61st Venice Biennale, to protest the Israeli genocide in Gaza and Lebanon. The strike, organized by the Art Not Genocide Alliance (ANGA), led to the closure of approximately 27 of the Biennale's 100 national pavilions, with signs reading "We Stand with Palestine." The Israeli pavilion remained closed and guarded by armed police, who clashed with protesters. Meanwhile, the European Commission threatened to suspend €2 million in EU grants to the Biennale Foundation over its decision to allow Russia to participate, citing incompatibility with EU sanctions and the invasion of Ukraine.
The National Museum of Oman has opened an exhibition titled "Pioneers of Omani Art" at the State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow, Russia. Running until 16 August, the show features 23 works by 17 Omani artists, highlighting how they draw inspiration from their culture, heritage, history, and environment. The exhibition traces the journey of fine art in Oman, from prehistoric rock art to the modern art movement, shaped by historical commercial and cultural exchanges with European artists.
The five-member international jury of the 61st Venice Biennale, led by Brazilian curator Solange Farkas, has resigned effective April 30, 2026. The jury—comprising Solange Oliveira Farkas, Zoe Butt, Elvira Dyangani Ose, Marta Kuzma, and Giovanna Zapperi—announced their resignation in a written statement, referencing a prior Statement of Intention issued on April 22. In response, La Biennale di Venezia postponed the Awards Ceremony from May 9 to November 22, the final public day, and introduced two new "Visitors' Lions" awards—one for the Best Participant in the main exhibition "In Minor Keys" by Koyo Kouoh, and one for the Best National Participation—to be decided by ticket-holder vote.
Artist and Holocaust survivor Yehudis Barmatz-Harris has installed a series of paintings within the barracks of Auschwitz-Birkenau, marking a profound personal and artistic return to the site of her family's trauma. The works, which utilize materials like salt and organic textures, are placed directly on the wooden bunks where prisoners once slept, creating a visceral dialogue between contemporary Jewish life and the void left by the Shoah.
A new museum called Pole Bitvy (Battlefield) has opened in the Russian-occupied Ukrainian city of Mariupol, glorifying Russia's full-scale invasion and linking it to the Soviet Union's victory in World War II. Russian officials, including senator Vladimir Yakushev and project head Sergei Ladochkin, presented the museum as a symbol of liberation from 'neo-Nazis,' while Ukrainian officials condemn it as an 'entertainment pavilion on bones' in a city where tens of thousands died during the 2022 siege.
An exhibition of over 120 North Korean artworks has opened at the All-Russian Museum of Decorative Art in Moscow, featuring paintings that glorify North Korea's troop deployment to the Ukraine war. The show, which runs until October 10, includes works likely created by the sanctioned Mansudae Art Studio and was inaugurated by the culture ministers of North Korea and Russia, with Russian security chief Sergei Shoigu also in attendance.
The Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC) censored an exhibition titled 'Constellation of Complicity: Visualising the Global Machinery of Authoritarian Solidarity' after pressure from the Chinese embassy. The exhibition, which opened on July 24, featured works by exiled artists from Myanmar, Iran, Russia, and Syria exploring authoritarian alliances. Following a visit by Chinese embassy staff, several works were removed, including a multimedia installation by a Tibetan artist, and texts mentioning 'Hong Kong', 'Tibet', and 'Uyghur' were redacted. The curator, Sai, a Myanmar artist in exile, said the interference was not unexpected.
Between the night of May 23 and the early hours of May 24, 2026, Russia launched a massive attack on Kyiv and other areas of Ukraine using 600 drones and 90 missiles. The National Art Museum of Ukraine (NAMU) in Kyiv suffered severe structural damage, along with government buildings. The attack was reportedly a response to a Ukrainian bombing of a dormitory in Russian-occupied Starobilsk. The museum, founded in the late 19th century and housed in a neoclassical building opened in 1904, holds nearly 40,000 works spanning over a thousand years of Ukrainian art, including medieval icons, Baroque masterpieces, and avant-garde pieces.
A massive Russian attack on Kyiv over the weekend targeted historical buildings, museums, and memorial sites, causing widespread damage. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported 87 injuries and at least two deaths, with around 300 objects damaged, mostly residential buildings. Military administrator Tymur Tkachenko described it as the largest attack since the full-scale invasion began, noting that for the first time Russia deliberately struck historical architecture and memorials, including the Foreign Ministry building, the Chernobyl Museum, and the Art Museum. Russia used 600 drones and 90 missiles, including the new Oreshnik intermediate-range missile, in retaliation for a Ukrainian attack on a vocational school in occupied Starobilsk.
Iran nimmt nicht an Biennale teil
Iran has withdrawn from the Venice Biennale, according to an announcement by the Biennale organization reported in Italian media. No reasons were given for the decision. The withdrawal comes amid significant turmoil at the Biennale just days before its official opening on Saturday: the entire jury resigned over disputes regarding the treatment of Russia and Israel, the opening ceremony was canceled, and the traditional awarding of Golden Lions at the start has been postponed to the final day in November, with winners now to be decided by visitor vote rather than a jury.
Meloni über Venedig-Biennale: "Habe den Überblick etwas verloren"
Days before the opening of the Venice Biennale, the entire international jury resigned in protest over Russia's participation despite its war against Ukraine. The jury had previously excluded Russia and Israel from prize consideration due to International Criminal Court warrants against their leaders. Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni admitted she had "lost track" of the situation, while the government sent inspectors to Venice. Biennale organizers responded by postponing the Golden Lion awards until November and introducing two audience-choice awards that will include Russian and Israeli entries.
Biennale-Jury will Länder mit IStGH-Vorwürfen nicht berücksichtigen
The jury of the Venice Art Biennale has announced that it will not consider countries whose heads of state or government face allegations of crimes against humanity from the International Criminal Court (ICC) when awarding prizes this year. The jury, led by Brazilian art historian Solange Farkas, cited its commitment to defending human rights. While no specific countries were named, the ICC currently has arrest warrants against Russian President Vladimir Putin for alleged war crimes in Ukraine and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for alleged war crimes in Gaza. The Biennale leadership stated the jury acted in full autonomy and independence.
EU plant Strafe für Biennale-Teilnahme Russlands
The European Union has threatened to cut funding for the Venice Biennale if it allows Russia to reopen its national pavilion at the upcoming exhibition. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas stated that Russia's return is "morally wrong" while the country is bombing Ukrainian museums and destroying cultural heritage. Russia, in coordination with the Biennale foundation, had announced plans to participate this year with works by Russian artists, marking its first appearance since the 2022 invasion.
Fine artist Louise Pasterfield will open her exhibition 'Colour and Courage' at St Stephen’s Church in Saltash, Cornwall, on May 28. The show features 18 watercolour portraits from her ongoing Ukraine series, which began after Russia’s 2022 invasion and now totals 295 portraits of civilians, soldiers, and families. Among the works is a tribute to Christopher Parry, a Cornish volunteer killed in Ukraine in 2023, painted from a photograph given by his parents. The exhibition also includes botanical paintings inspired by Tresco Abbey Gardens.
The jury of the Venice Biennale has resigned after their demand to exclude Israel and Russia from the event was rejected. The jurors had called for the removal of both countries' national pavilions due to ongoing geopolitical conflicts, but the Biennale organizers declined to comply, leading to the mass resignation.
The jury for the Venice Biennale International Art Exhibition announced on April 24, 2026, that they will not consider artists from countries whose leaders face charges at the International Criminal Court, an apparent reference to Israel and Russia. The five jury members, tasked with selecting Golden and Silver Lion winners among 110 participants, stated they felt compelled to commit to the defense of human rights. The ICC has issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for alleged war crimes. The decision follows criticism of the Biennale for allowing Russia to reopen its pavilion after its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
UNESCO has expressed serious concern over recent Russian attacks damaging cultural heritage sites in Ukrainian cities including Odesa, Lviv, and Kyiv. The winter bombardment has targeted power grids and infrastructure, complicating the work of museums and cultural institutions. The Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, a World Heritage Site, suffered its first military damage since WWII, and the historic center of Odesa, already on UNESCO's endangered list, saw its Holy Dormition Monastery severely hit.
The Ukrainian Art Studio ArtUA has launched its fifth anniversary exhibition, 'Revived by Art', at the People's Museum of Limerick, running from November 1 to 15, 2025. The exhibition features 150 works by nearly 40 artists, both Ukrainian and other nationalities, aged six to seventy-seven, using techniques such as painting, graphics, decorative arts, and graphic design. Founded by Ukrainian artist and teacher Lyubov Makarenko, who fled Mariupol after the Russian invasion, ArtUA has been holding free art classes at the Redemptorist Church in Limerick since July 2022. The exhibition focuses on personal memories and places dear to the artists, including Mariupol, Kyiv, Dnipro, Kharkiv, Chernihiv, and Limerick, reflecting nostalgia, pain, and love.
The 5th anniversary edition of the Off White contemporary art charity auction, organized by the Cosmoscow International Contemporary Art Fair, will take place on June 8, 2018, in partnership with Phillips auction house. For the first time, the auction will be curated by international curator Leopold Thun, co-runner of Emalin gallery in London, who will introduce a new concept, date, venue, and international perspective. Proceeds will benefit the Cosmoscow Foundation for Contemporary Art.
Burmese artist Sai and his wife have fled to the UK to seek asylum after their exhibition at the Bangkok Arts and Cultural Centre was censored following complaints from Chinese embassy officials. The show, titled 'Constellation of Complicity: Visualising the Global Machine of Authoritarian Solidarity,' opened on 26 July 2025 and featured exiled artists from China, Russia, and Iran. Chinese representatives, accompanied by Bangkok city officials, demanded the removal of works by Tibetan, Uyghur, and Hong Kong artists, leading to the blacking out of artist names, removal of flags, and switching off of films. The couple alleges Thai police are looking for them, though police deny this.
David Chichkan, a prominent Ukrainian contemporary artist known for his anarchist ideals and avant-garde iconography, was killed while fighting Russian forces in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region on August 8, 2024. The Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications reported that he died repelling an assault by Russian infantry. Chichkan, born in Kyiv in 1986, came from a dynasty of artists and was known for works infused with references to Ukraine's activist and anarchist history. His death adds to a growing list of Ukrainian cultural workers killed since Russia's full-scale invasion began in February 2022, with PEN Ukraine recording 221 cultural figures dead.
Four prominent art market figures—Ed Dolman, Brett Gorvy, Patti Wong, and Phillip Hoffman—have launched a new consultancy called New Perspectives Art Partners. The group, which also includes Dolman's son Alex, aims to provide a white-glove, case-by-case service for top-tier clients, covering buying and selling art, estate management, financing, and insurance. Each member brings specialized expertise and geographic reach across Europe, America, the Middle East, and Asia, and they will maintain their existing roles in their own businesses.
Ukrainian Railways (Ukrzaliznytsia) has partnered with the Howard G. Buffett Foundation to launch an 'art train' — three train cars converted into a traveling gallery — that is currently crossing Ukraine. The exhibition, titled *Courage of a Nation*, features photographs taken by billionaire Howard Buffett during his 19 trips to Ukraine between April 2022 and February 2025, documenting the country's resilience after Russia's full-scale invasion. Curated by Pulitzer Prize-winning National Geographic photographer Muhammed Muheisen, the show will make 63 stops over four months, starting in Odesa. Due to security risks, the exact timetable is not publicly announced. A book of the same name, with a foreword by Ukraine's first lady Olena Zelenska, has also been published.
Le Musée national d’art de Kiev contraint de fermer après une frappe russe
The National Art Museum of Ukraine (NAMU) in Kyiv was damaged during a massive Russian airstrike on the night of May 23-24, which involved 90 missiles and 600 drones. The museum has closed indefinitely after windows were blown out, window frames damaged, plaster fell from walls, and the skylight roof was hit. No staff or collections were harmed, as the main artworks had been evacuated to secret storage sites since February 2022. The museum had maintained partial activity with temporary exhibitions and conferences, and had loaned over sixty works to the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium for the exhibition 'In the Eye of the Storm.'