Art News. Vasari Codex

article news schedule May 6, 2026 visibility 20 link 10 artists

In Protest of Israeli Pavilion, Activists and Unions Plan Strike on Venice Biennale’s Opening Day

The Art Not Genocide Alliance (ANGA) has announced a 24-hour strike and rally on May 8, the day before the 2026 Venice Biennale opens to the public, in protest of the Israeli Pavilion. ANGA, formed in opposition to Israel's inclusion in the 2024 Biennale, refers to the current Israeli presentation—featuring Haifa-based artist Belu-Simion Fainaru—as the "Genocide Pavilion." Over 200 artists, curators, and culture workers have signed an open letter demanding Israel's exclusion, and a separate action called Solidarity Drone Chorus involved 60 artists. ANGA is collaborating with local labor and culture organizations including Biennalocene, Vogliamo Tutt'altro, S.a.L.E. Docks, and Mi Riconosci.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule May 5, 2026 visibility 23 link 13 artists

Venice Diary Day 1: At the Giardini, Artists Refuse to Make Fascism Cozy

Henrike Naumann's posthumous installation at the German Pavilion, which retains its 1938 Nazi-era fascist architecture, refuses to make the space 'cozy' by adorning windows with violently ripped domestic fabrics. The 2026 Venice Biennale is the first under president Pietrangelo Buttafuoco, associated with neo-fascist politics, and is overshadowed by controversy over his 'neutrality' policy allowing all countries to participate despite human rights concerns. The exhibition jury initially announced it would not consider pavilions from countries whose leaders are charged with crimes against humanity, then abruptly quit, leaving the situation unresolved. The US Pavilion features unimpressive blobs by Alma Allen, while the Russian Pavilion offers cut flowers and free vodka, and Andreas Angelidakis responds to fascist aesthetics at the Greek Pavilion.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

article news schedule May 4, 2026 visibility 18 link 9 artists

What It Takes to Build the Venice Biennale

Three weeks before the Venice Biennale opens on May 5, the city remains a construction site, with the Giardini closed and parts of the Arsenale requiring special access. Artist Faustin Linyekula rehearses his performance *The Galeazze Project* in a 16th-century roofless complex, working with the existing gravel, natural light, and lagoon acoustics rather than imposing a structure. Geopolitical conflicts, supply chain disruptions, and the sudden resignation of the Biennale’s international jury via Instagram add pressure to the already challenging logistics of mounting the global exhibition.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

article news schedule Apr 29, 2026 visibility 26 link 38 artists

Venice Bound? Here’s All the News You Need to Know About This Year’s Biennale

The 61st Venice Biennale is embroiled in geopolitical controversy over Russia's return to the event in 2026, which has sparked widespread backlash. Nearly 10,000 artists and cultural leaders signed an open letter opposing Russia's participation, and the European Union withdrew €2 million in funding for the 2028 edition. Leaked emails reveal Biennale officials worked with Russian pavilion commissioner Anastasia Karneeva to circumvent EU sanctions, while Italy's culture minister Alessandro Giuli plans to boycott the opening week. Meanwhile, activists continue to push for Israel's removal from the Biennale, though Israel will be accommodated in the Arsenale this year.

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original

article news schedule Apr 24, 2026 visibility 29 link 13 artists

Venice Biennale’s Prize Ban on Israel and Russia Falls Short for Critics

The jury of the 2026 Venice Biennale has ruled that Israel and Russia will be ineligible for the Golden and Silver Lion prizes, citing International Criminal Court charges of crimes against humanity against their leaders. The decision follows years of activism and political pressure, with the European Union withdrawing €2 million in funding from the event in protest of Russia's participation. While groups like Art Not Genocide Alliance praised the move as an unprecedented step, critics argue it falls short of a full ban on participation. Israel's artist representative, Belu-Simion Fainaru, condemned the policy as discriminatory, and an open letter signed by 70 artists and curators called for excluding all regimes committing war crimes, including the United States.

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original

article news schedule Apr 22, 2026 visibility 18 link 5 artists

What You Need to Know About the Venice Biennale’s Russian Pavilion Controversy

The Russian pavilion is set to return to the Venice Biennale for the first time since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, presenting an exhibition titled 'The tree is rooted in the sky.' This has sparked significant controversy, with artists, curators, and politicians from Ukraine and several European nations calling for the pavilion's exclusion, citing the ongoing war and sanctions. The Biennale organizers have refused to remove Russia, stating they lack the authority to exclude a state recognized by Italy and emphasizing the event's role as a neutral space for cultural dialogue.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule Mar 25, 2026 visibility 26 link 2 artists

Yto Barrada Says France Had ‘Full Awareness’ of Her Views on Israel When It Chose Her for Venice Biennale

Artist Yto Barrada, selected to represent France at the Venice Biennale, has stated that the French government and pavilion organizers were fully aware of her political views when they chose her. This follows criticism from the Representative Council of French Jewish Institutions (CRIF), which denounced Barrada for signing an open letter calling for Israel's exclusion from the Biennale and suggested the government should force her to withdraw her signature.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule Mar 25, 2026 visibility 27 link 15 artists

venice biennale 2026 national pavilions 2604196

The 61st Venice Biennale is taking shape as national pavilions announce their participants and curatorial themes for the 2026 edition. Russia has confirmed its return to the Giardini with a multidisciplinary exhibition titled “The Tree is Rooted in the Sky,” following its 2022 withdrawal and the 2024 loan of its pavilion to Bolivia. The upcoming edition, themed “In Minor Keys,” will proceed under the vision of the late curator Koyo Kouoh, who passed away in 2025 after becoming the first African woman appointed to helm the prestigious event.

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original

article news schedule Dec 5, 2025 visibility 20 link 4 artists

daughter of marisa merz cancels show in kassel over documentas antisemitism policy 1234765391

An exhibition of work by late Arte Povera artist Marisa Merz, planned for the Fridericianum museum in Kassel, Germany, has been canceled by her daughter Beatrice Merz. Beatrice, president of the Fondazione Merz, called off the show in protest of Documenta's newly adopted Code of Conduct, which uses the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism. The exhibition was originally scheduled to open in August 2025 and was replaced with a Robert Grosvenor survey. The cancellation was confirmed by Andreas Hoffmann, managing director of Documenta and the Fridericianum.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

gavel restitution schedule Nov 24, 2025 visibility 12 link 4 artists

family says firm funding its legal battle for stolen paintings sought control of lawsuits 1234749202

The son of late Palestinian businessman Uthman Khatib, Prince Castro Ben Leon, is suing LitFin Capital, the Prague-based litigation funder that financed his family's legal battle to recover 135 Russian avant-garde paintings allegedly stolen by Israeli Russian Mozes Frisch. The paintings, attributed to El Lissitzky, Kazimir Malevich, and Wassily Kandinsky, are valued at $323 million. A Paris court secured the works in January after they were seized from Paris-based authenticators ArtAnalysis, which had been holding them for Frisch. Castro claims LitFin is now refusing to pay legal bills unless it gains control of the lawsuits, violating their funding agreement. LitFin denies the allegations, stating it has always honored its contractual obligations.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

article news schedule Sep 17, 2025 visibility 15 link 4 artists

aichi triennale protests israel matching program 1234751985

The Aichi Triennale in Japan has become embroiled in controversy over the Aichi-Israel Matching Program, a business initiative linking local companies with Israeli startups. Protesters, including several participating artists, have signed an open letter demanding the program's cancellation, accusing it of normalizing alleged human rights abuses. The triennial's curator, Hoor Al-Qasimi, has publicly criticized Israel's military actions in Gaza, and one organizing committee member, Hideyuki Tomita, has resigned amid the backlash.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule Jun 30, 2025 visibility 13 link 9 artists

glastonbury festival 2025 mark wallinger gaza children installation 1234746441

At the 2025 Glastonbury Festival in the UK, Turner Prize-winning artist Mark Wallinger presented an anti-fascist installation titled "Jungle Gym" at the Terminal 1 Stage, curated by Oriana Garzón as part of the exhibition "No Human is Illegal." The work, built with chainlink fencing and using only Unicef blue, highlights the suffering of children in Gaza and the bureaucratic challenges faced by migrants. Festivalgoers entered by answering a British citizenship test question, with incorrect answers sending them to the back of the line, before passing through a cabin styled as a refugee camp to reach the installation.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

article news schedule May 22, 2025 visibility 13 link 5 artists

brian eno calls out microsoft israeli military 2647939

Brian Eno, the English musician and artist who composed the iconic startup sound for Windows 95, has publicly called out Microsoft for its business relationship with the Israeli Ministry of Defense amid the ongoing war in Gaza. In an open letter titled “Not in My Name” posted to Instagram, Eno expressed dismay that the company he once associated with a promising technological future is now providing cloud and AI services to the Israeli military, which he and human rights organizations accuse of committing genocide and war crimes. He urged Microsoft to suspend all services that contribute to violations of international law and announced he would donate his original fee for the Windows 95 chime to Gaza victims.

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original

article news schedule May 8, 2026 visibility 19 link 4 artists

Several Venice Biennale pavilions shut in protest over inclusion of Israel

Several national pavilions at the 2026 Venice Biennale shut down during the final preview day in a strike organized by the Art Not Genocide Alliance (Anga) protesting Israel's inclusion due to its war in Gaza. Pavilions from Belgium, the Netherlands, Austria, Japan, Macedonia, and Korea closed entirely, while others like Britain, Spain, France, Egypt, Finland, and Luxembourg partially closed or reopened later. Artists in the main exhibition added Palestinian flags and posters reading "Palestine is the future of the world." The Israeli pavilion was closed for a private event, and earlier in the week Pussy Riot staged a protest at the Russian pavilion.

newspaper The Guardian open_in_new Read original

article news schedule May 6, 2026 visibility 20 link 7 artists

Pussy Riot protest at Venice Biennale forces Russian pavilion to briefly close

On the second day of the Venice Biennale preview, the activist group Pussy Riot staged a chaotic protest at the Russian pavilion, forcing it to temporarily close. Wearing pink balaclavas and carrying flares, about 40 activists—including members of Femen—gathered outside the pavilion, shouting slogans like "Blood is Russia's Art" and attempting to enter before being pushed back by police. Founding member Nadya Tolokonnikova led the protest, condemning Europe for allowing Russian participation despite the war in Ukraine. Separately, the Art Not Genocide Alliance (Anga) demonstrated outside the Israeli pavilion, which was locked from inside, over Israel's war in Gaza.

newspaper The Guardian open_in_new Read original

article news schedule May 5, 2026 visibility 28 link 9 artists

Dark clouds, protests and resignations dampen start of 61st Venice Biennale

The 61st Venice Biennale opened under grey skies and rain, with political tensions overshadowing the art world's premier event. The Russian pavilion, absent for two editions due to the Ukraine war, reappeared with a party atmosphere, though the Italian ministry of culture confirmed it would not be open to the public. The Ukrainian culture minister called Russia's symbolic presence powerful. The Iranian pavilion withdrew without explanation, and a protest by 60 artists from the In Minor Keys show marched through the Giardini humming in solidarity against Israel's participation. Over 200 artists, including Lubaina Himid and Alfredo Jaar, signed an open letter demanding the Israeli pavilion's cancellation. The event also proceeded without its curator, Koyo Kouoh, who died in May 2025; her curatorial team delivered the exhibition following her plans.

newspaper The Guardian open_in_new Read original

article news schedule May 4, 2026 visibility 22 link 4 artists

Anish Kapoor says US’s ‘politics of hate’ should exclude it from Venice Biennale

Anish Kapoor has called for the United States to be excluded from the Venice Biennale, citing the country's "abhorrent politics of hate" and "incessant warmongering." His comments follow the resignation of the five-member international jury, who stepped down in protest over the inclusion of Israel and Russia. Kapoor praised the jury's decision as "courageous" but argued they should have also targeted the US. The US pavilion, featuring artist Alma Allen and his exhibition "Call Me the Breeze," has faced scrutiny over perceived Trump administration interference and a delayed selection process. Meanwhile, the Israeli and Russian pavilions remain flashpoints, with over 200 participants signing a letter demanding the cancellation of the Israeli pavilion, and the Russian pavilion closed to the public but viewable through windows.

newspaper The Guardian open_in_new Read original

article news schedule Apr 24, 2026 visibility 16 link 4 artists

Venice Biennale Jury Bars Israel and Russia from Official Prizes

The international jury of the 61st Venice Biennale announced on April 23 that it will not consider the Israeli and Russian pavilions for official prizes, including the Golden Lion for national participation. The five-member, all-women panel—comprising Solange Farkas, Zoe Butt, Elvira Dyangani Ose, Marta Kuzma, and Giovanna Zapperi—said it would exclude countries whose leaders are currently charged with crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court, a criterion that applies to Israel and Russia due to ICC arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and Vladimir Putin. The decision comes amid mounting controversy over the Biennale's decision to host both pavilions, with Russia returning after its artists withdrew in 2022 over the Ukraine invasion and Israel reopening after its 2024 pavilion remained closed pending a Gaza ceasefire. The European Commission had also threatened to suspend a €2 million grant over the Russian pavilion's reopening.

newspaper ArtAsiaPacific open_in_new Read original

article news schedule May 6, 2026 visibility 17 link 5 artists

Venice Biennale opening marked by protests

The 2026 Venice Biennale opened for professionals on Tuesday amid a series of protests, with more planned throughout the week. Around 60 artists from the exhibition "In Minor Keys" gathered at the Giardini for a collective action called "Solidarity Drone Chorus," inspired by Gazan composer Ahmed Muin's "Drone Song," to draw attention to genocide and war in Palestine. The Art Not Genocide Alliance (ANGA) organized a 24-hour strike for Friday 8 May, protesting Israel's participation. Pussy Riot staged a protest outside the Russian pavilion, and the Latvian pavilion launched a campaign against Russia's involvement. The protests follow a highly politicized lead-up, including calls for boycotts of the Russian, Israeli, and US pavilions, EU funding cuts over Russia's participation, and the resignation of the Biennale jury.

newspaper ArtReview open_in_new Read original

article news schedule May 8, 2026 visibility 17 link 2 artists

Strike Rocks Venice Biennale Ahead of Public Opening as Pavilions Close

Thousands of protesters marched through Venice to demonstrate against Israel's presence at the Venice Biennale, leading many national pavilions to close in solidarity. Pavilions from Austria, Belgium, Egypt, Japan, the Netherlands, South Korea, and over a dozen other countries shut fully or partially, with some displaying signs reading "We Stand with Palestine." The Israeli pavilion remained closed for its exhibition opening, and armed police clashed with protesters. The main exhibition, curated by Koyo Kouoh, stayed open initially but the Arsenale closed by late afternoon with riot police outside. The 24-hour strike, organized by Art Not Genocide Alliance (ANGA) and Italian activist groups, was described as the largest protest in Biennale history.

newspaper Artforum open_in_new Read original

article news schedule May 6, 2026 visibility 19 link 3 artists

Venice Biennale Swamped in Protests Ahead of Planned Strike

The Art Not Genocide Alliance (ANGA) has announced a 24-hour strike for Friday, May 8, coinciding with previews of the 2026 Venice Biennale, alongside a protest rally organized by local group Biennalocene and Italian trade unions. Earlier this week, sixty artists staged a sonic protest at the Giardini entrance to draw attention to the plight of those affected by genocide and war in Palestine and elsewhere. The Latvian pavilion has also encouraged attendees to wear a design by artist Krišs Salmanis reading “Death in Venice – Russia go home!” Meanwhile, dissident artists Pussy Riot stormed the Russian pavilion waving Ukrainian flags, and the entire 2026 Biennale jury resigned after the decision to exclude countries whose leaders are charged with crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court from competing for top prizes.

newspaper Artforum open_in_new Read original

article news schedule May 5, 2026 visibility 20 link 3 artists

Anish Kapoor Condemns Inclusion of US in Venice Biennale

Anish Kapoor has publicly condemned the inclusion of the United States in the upcoming 61st Venice Biennale, calling for its exclusion due to what he describes as the country's 'abhorrent politics of hate and its incessant warmongering.' In an interview with The Guardian, Kapoor praised the five-person jury that resigned en masse after refusing to consider Israel and Russia for the event's top prize, both nations having been accused by the International Criminal Court of crimes against humanity. Kapoor's remarks come amid the ongoing US war with Iran under the Trump administration, and he previously threatened to sue the Trump administration over a photo taken at his Cloud Gate sculpture in Chicago.

newspaper Artforum open_in_new Read original

article news schedule Apr 30, 2026 visibility 25 link 3 artists

Embattled US Venice Biennale Pavilion is Seeking Donations

The American Arts Conservancy (AAC), an organization founded last year by the Trump administration, has launched a crowdfunding campaign to support the United States Pavilion at the Venice Biennale. This comes amid widespread controversy and calls to exclude the US, Russia, and Israel from the event. The AAC website solicits donations starting at $100, claiming a "once-in-a-generation opportunity" to restore America's artistic presence abroad. The US government has already contributed $375,000, but the State Department says the total exhibition cost far exceeds that amount. This year's pavilion will feature sculptor Alma Allen, after Barbara Chase-Riboud and William Eggleston declined to participate.

newspaper Artforum open_in_new Read original

article policy schedule Apr 7, 2026 visibility 28 link 2 artists

An Urgent Call From Artists and Curators of the 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia 2026

A group of seventy-four artists and curators participating in the 61st Venice Biennale have issued an urgent letter to the institution's leadership, including director Pietrangelo Buttafuoco. The signatories are protesting the decision to relocate the Israeli Pavilion to the Arsenale, placing it in close proximity to the central exhibition, "In Minor Keys," which was conceived by the late curator Koyo Kouoh. The group argues that this relocation violates Kouoh’s curatorial vision of radical solidarity and introduces a threatening military and police presence into the exhibition space.

newspaper e-flux open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule May 8, 2026 source 2 sources visibility 19 link 7 artists

Musée d’Orsay opens gallery dedicated to still-unclaimed works stolen by Nazis in WWII

The Musée d'Orsay in Paris has opened a permanent gallery dedicated to artworks believed to have been looted by the Nazis from Jewish owners during World War II, but whose rightful owners have not been identified. The exhibition, titled "Who owns these works?", features a rotating selection of 225 such pieces held by the museum, with twelve paintings and one sculpture currently on display. Works by Renoir, Degas, Rodin, and Alfred Stevens are included, alongside provenance research detailing their murky histories—such as a Degas ballroom scene acquired by a Jewish collector later murdered at Auschwitz.

newspaper KOAM News Now open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule May 7, 2026 source 2 sources visibility 20 link 12 artists

The message behind the US pavilion at the Venice Biennale

The article previews the 61st Venice Biennale, opening May 9 and running through November 22, highlighting early controversies. The five-person Golden Lion jury, led by Brazilian curator Solange Farkas, resigned after declaring they would not consider pavilions from countries under International Criminal Court investigation, targeting the Israel pavilion and its artist Belu-Simion Fainaru. Separately, the US pavilion has drawn scrutiny from the New York Times over its selection process, with commissioner Jenni Parido (a former pet food store owner) tapping curator Jeffrey Uslip and sculptor Alma Allen, bypassing traditional funders like the Ford and Mellon foundations.

newspaper The Spectator open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule Oct 7, 2025 visibility 19 link 2 artists, 1 gallery

lebanese palestinian artist gabrielle bejani israel bombings lebanon 1234755677

Gabrielle Bejani, a Lebanese Palestinian artist based in South London, created a new series of works in response to the November 2024 ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon that was quickly broken. The series, exhibited as "Deliberate Dreams" at Beirut's Saleh Barakat Gallery in July 2025, uses painting, drawing, and collage to process grief, anger, and guilt over the violence. Bejani incorporates everyday cultural items like bougainvillea and 20th-century Lebanese postage stamps to explore themes of land, identity, and resistance, reclaiming darkness as a source of empowerment rather than a metaphor for evil.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

person people schedule Jul 22, 2025 visibility 13 link 1 artist, 2 galleries

art zoya cherkassky shelter island

Artist Zoya Cherkassky, born in Kyiv and a longtime resident of Israel, has relocated to Shelter Island after fleeing to Berlin following the October 7, 2023 attacks. She discovered the island during a stay with her gallerists from Fort Gansevoort and now has a permanent studio there. Cherkassky, known for politically charged works, recently created a series of colored pencil drawings responding to the Hamas attacks, which were exhibited at the Jewish Museum in New York as "October 7th, 2023." Her latest Shelter Island paintings mark a dramatic shift toward tranquil landscapes and sunsets.

newspaper Cultured open_in_new Read original

article news schedule Apr 27, 2026 visibility 17 link 1 artist, 1 gallery

Art Show in London Canceled Over Allegations of Antisemitism from Pro-Israel Group

An exhibition by artist Matthew Collings at Delta House Gallery in London was canceled after UK Lawyers for Israel raised allegations of antisemitism. The show, titled "Drawings Against Genocide," had previously been displayed in Margate, where a review in the Telegraph described the works as "dripping with Jew-hate." One drawing depicted Sotheby's owner Patrick Drahi eating babies alive, while others showed Jews with horns or standing on skulls. Tom Berglund, chairman of Pineapple Corporation, which owns Delta House, said the exhibition was arranged without consultation and expressed hope for resolution in the Middle East. Collings defended the work on Instagram, arguing it satirizes the use of art to whitewash what he called "Zionist atrocity."

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

article news schedule Apr 30, 2026 source 5 sources visibility 22 link 3 artists

Venice Biennale’s jury resigns

The entire jury of the 61st Venice Biennale, presided by Brazilian curator Solange Farkas and comprising four other curators, resigned just nine days before the exhibition's scheduled opening on 9 May 2026. The jury had announced it would not award prizes to countries whose leaders are charged with crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court, a move widely understood to target Israel and Russia. In response, the Biennale's organisers cancelled the prize-giving ceremony and will instead award Golden Lions via a popular vote among ticketholders. The row escalated further when the Israeli representative, sculptor Belu-Simion Fainaru, accused the jury of discrimination and threatened legal action, prompting intervention from Italy's culture ministry.

newspaper The Art Newspaper Also: ArtAsiaPacific, Artforum, Hyperallergic open_in_new Read original