Venice Golden Lion jury won’t consider Russian and Israeli pavilions

The jury for the Golden and Silver Lion awards at the 61st Venice Biennale has announced it will not consider the national pavilions of any country whose leaders are currently charged with crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court. This decision specifically excludes Russia, whose president Vladimir Putin is charged with unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children, and Israel, whose prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is charged with targeting Palestinian civilians and using starvation as a weapon. The jury, presided over by Solange Oliveira Farkas and including Zoe Butt, Elvira Dyangani Ose, Marta Kuzma, and Giovanna Zapperi, issued a full statement explaining their commitment to human rights and alignment with the curatorial vision of the late Koyo Kouoh.

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The National Portrait Gallery in London has acquired the only surviving photographs of 19th-century mathematician Ada Lovelace, a group of three daguerreotypes that were originally offered at Bonhams in June 2025 with an estimate of £80,000 to £120,000. The lot was withdrawn from auction and the museum secured it via a private treaty sale, a confidential negotiation process that allows institutions to purchase significant artworks directly from private owners. Two of the daguerreotypes were taken by French photographer Antoine Claudet around 1843, the year Lovelace published her foundational paper on Charles Babbage's Analytical Engine, while the third, by an unknown photographer, reproduces an 1852 portrait by Henry Wyndham Phillips showing Lovelace near the end of her life.

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A Moscow court designated the feminist art collective Pussy Riot as an extremist organization on December 15, following a lawsuit from Russia's Ministry of Justice. Founder Nadya Tolokonnikova, currently living in exile, condemned the ruling, warning that owning a balaclava, having a song on a computer, or liking a post could lead to prison time. She learned of the lawsuit while finishing her durational performance "Police State" at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, which she described as a warning about surveillance authoritarianism. Tolokonnikova co-founded Pussy Riot in 2011 and was previously imprisoned for performing anti-Putin songs at a Moscow cathedral.

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.

Despite Putin’s repressive regime, a new private museum opens in Moscow

A new private museum called Zilart is set to open in Moscow on December 2, founded by billionaire couple Andrey and Yelizaveta Molchanov. The museum will showcase their collection of roughly 10,000 works, spanning Russian avant-garde, Soviet nonconformist art, international contemporary art, photography, and African art. Originally conceived in 2015 as a modern art branch of the State Hermitage Museum, the project underwent significant changes: architect Hani Rashid was replaced by Sergei Tchoban in 2021, and the Hermitage withdrew in 2023. The museum is entirely funded by the Molchanovs' LSR Group and receives no state support.

Venice Biennale Awards Jury Won’t Consider Russia and Israel

The international awards jury for the 61st Venice Biennale has announced it will not consider countries whose leaders are charged with crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for prizes. The all-women jury, chaired by Solange Farkas, published a statement on e-flux declaring this policy, which implicitly targets Russia and Israel, whose leaders Vladimir Putin and Benjamin Netanyahu face ICC warrants. The jury is responsible for awarding Golden Lions for the best national pavilion and best artist in the central exhibition. A majority of artists in the main show issued an open letter supporting the decision, while the Biennale Foundation faces criticism for allowing both nations to participate in 2026.

Venice Biennale Jury Says It Won’t Consider Countries Charged with Crimes Against Humanity, Including Israel and Russia

The Venice Biennale's jury announced it will not consider nations whose leaders are charged with crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court, effectively excluding Israel and Russia from competing for top honors. The jury, led by Videobrasil founder Solange Farkas, stated this decision aligns with curator Koyo Kouoh's vision and the Biennale's historical role as a platform connecting art to urgent issues. The ICC has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Russian President Vladimir Putin, while other indicted leaders like Sudan's Omar al-Bashir and Afghan officials lack Biennale pavilions.

pussy riot labeled extremist organization by russias justice ministry 1234767119

Russia’s justice ministry has officially designated Pussy Riot, the feminist punk rock band and art collective co-founded by Nadya Tolokonnikova, as an “extremist organization.” The ruling follows a December 15 closed-door hearing at Moscow’s Tverskoy Court, where prosecutor general Alexander Gutsan filed a lawsuit against the group. The designation bans all Pussy Riot activities in Russia and allows the state to seize property of members and their families, and to prosecute anyone supporting the group. Tolokonnikova told ARTnews the group will appeal, calling the decision a source of “anxiety and bureaucratic nonsense.” In September, five members were sentenced to 8–13 years for spreading “fakes” about the Russian military, and Tolokonnikova was placed on Russia’s wanted list in 2023 after her performance *Putin’s Ashes*.

Introduction to the Dark Forest Theory of the Internet

The article explores the conceptual origins of the internet, tracing its development to figures like Douglas Engelbart and Jacques Vallée, whose work blended computing with cosmic and paranormal inquiry. It argues that early internet pioneers were deeply influenced by ideas of remote viewing, extrasensory perception, and the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, framing the network as a project of cognitive augmentation and alien encounter.

Pussy Riot slams Russia’s return to Venice Biennale

Russia is set to return to the Venice Biennale for the first time since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, presenting a project titled "The tree is rooted in the sky" focused on folklore and multilingual cultures. The Russian pavilion, commissioned by Anastasia Karneeva and supported by Putin’s cultural envoy Mikhail Shvydkoy, will feature a filmed three-day festival. The Biennale organizers defended the inclusion, citing a policy of non-censorship for any country recognized by Italy that owns a pavilion in the Giardini.

German Provocateur Artist Sentenced to 8.5 Years in Prison in Russia After Mocking Putin

German carnival float artist Jacques Tilly has been sentenced in absentia to 8.5 years in a Russian prison. A Moscow court convicted him on charges of spreading false information about the Russian military and insulting religious feelings due to his satirical floats depicting President Vladimir Putin, including one showing Putin in a blood-filled bathtub painted like the Ukrainian flag.

Venice Biennale jury to avoid artists from nations with ICC-charged leaders

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.

Biennale Jury Will Not Consider Countries with ICC Allegations

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.

Hermitage Museum Director and Putin Ally Mikhail Piotrovsky Sanctioned by European Union

The European Union has sanctioned Mikhail Piotrovsky, the longtime director of the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, for his close association with Vladimir Putin and his active support of Russia's war against Ukraine. Announced on April 23, the sanctions are part of a broader package targeting over a hundred individuals and entities, including other cultural figures like Sergei Obryvalin, Igor Solonin, and Andrey Polyakov, for their roles in the seizure of Ukrainian cultural property and the spread of Russian propaganda in occupied regions.

EU imposes sanctions on Mikhail Piotrovsky, director of Russia's State Hermitage Museum

The European Union has imposed sanctions on Mikhail Piotrovsky, the director of Russia's State Hermitage Museum, as part of its 20th sanctions package adopted on 23 April. Piotrovsky, a vocal supporter of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, is cited for being a close associate of Vladimir Putin and for actively supporting the war, including justifying Russian cultural policies that incorporate Ukrainian museum items into Russia's State Museum Fund and enabling unauthorized archaeological excavations in occupied Crimea. The sanctions also target three other cultural officials involved in the Crimean digs. Meanwhile, Hermitage archaeologist Alexander Butyagin, arrested in Poland in December 2025 at Ukraine's request, was released in a prisoner exchange on 28 April.

Under pressure, the jury of the 61st Venice Biennale will exclude Russian and Israeli pavilions from the awards

Sous pression, le jury de la 61e Biennale de Venise exclura les pavillons russe et israélien du palmarès

The 61st Venice Biennale, titled "In Minor Keys" and running from May 9 to November 22, 2026, has been embroiled in political controversy after organizers decided to reinstate the Russian pavilion, which had been excluded since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Under pressure from the European Commission, which threatened to suspend a €2 million grant, the jury announced it will exclude artists from the Russian and Israeli pavilions from winning prizes, citing that leaders Vladimir Putin and Benjamin Netanyahu face International Criminal Court charges for crimes against humanity. The Russian pavilion will remain closed to the public but open for VIP press previews, while the Israeli pavilion stays open to the public. Italian Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli has refused to attend the opening ceremony in protest.

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Maria Smorzhevskikh-Smirnova, the director of the Narva Museum in Estonia, was sentenced in absentia to 10 years in prison by a Russian court. The charges stem from her hanging banners on Narva Castle that label Russian President Vladimir Putin a “war criminal,” including one that fuses Putin’s face with Adolf Hitler’s and another showing a bloodied mug shot of Putin. The court cited laws against disseminating “war fakes” and “rehabilitating Nazism.” Smorzhevskikh-Smirnova has been displaying such banners since 2023 on Russian Victory Day, and Russian authorities have projected Victory Day parades toward Narva from the nearby town of Ivangorod.

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Christie’s will auction a Pascaline, the first calculating machine in history, developed by Blaise Pascal in 1642, at a sale in Paris on November 19. The estimate for the box decorated with ebony sticks is €2 million to €3 million. This particular model, dedicated to survey calculations, is the only one in private hands among nine surviving originals, and it remains fully functional. The auction also includes 15 volumes of Pascal’s writings, including a first copy of *Pensées* (estimate €200,000–€300,000), and works by Descartes, Newton, and others.

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Ai Weiwei has traveled to Ukraine's eastern front, visiting Kharkiv under Russian bombardment and meeting soldiers, poets, and cultural figures resisting the invasion. He documented the trip on Instagram with stark images and was photographed in black fatigues marked "Khartiia," a volunteer unit now part of Ukraine's National Guard. His next project is a major installation in Kyiv titled "Three Perfectly Proportioned Spheres and Camouflage Uniforms Painted White," opening September 14 at Pavilion 13, a renovated Soviet-era hall, commissioned by Ribbon International.

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Museums Galleries Scotland, the umbrella body for 455 museums and galleries in Scotland, has warned that its member institutions face an 'environment of suspicion and policing of gender' in restrooms following a UK Supreme Court ruling that defines 'man,' 'woman,' and 'sex' in the Equality Act 2010 as referring to biological sex. The publicly funded body criticized interim guidelines from the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), arguing they fail to include trans people and could force some museums to close or leave trans individuals with no facilities. Separately, Russia has filed criminal charges against Maria Smorževskihh-Smirnova, director of the Narva Museum in Estonia, for 'rehabilitating Nazism' over a banner displaying Vladimir Putin and Adolf Hitler with the caption 'Putler War Criminal!' displayed on Russia's Victory Day.

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A French nonprofit, For Ukraine, For Their Freedom and Ours!, has filed a complaint with the International Criminal Court (ICC) accusing Russia of the systematic and organized looting of Ukrainian cultural heritage since the 2022 invasion. The complaint, submitted on July 11, calls for arrest warrants for Vladimir Putin and eight senior Russian officials, alleging that the plunder was planned at the highest state level and constitutes war crimes under international law. The group identified a modus operandi involving Russia's Ministry of Culture, museum directors, and intelligence chief Sergei Naryshkin.

Amid crackdowns on dissent, Russia’s private museums are threatened

Russia's private art museums, once symbols of post-Soviet integration into Western elite culture, are now struggling to survive amid increasing state repression and the war in Ukraine. The Garage Museum of Contemporary Art, founded by Roman Abramovich and Dasha Zhukova, was raided by security services in 2024 and visited by right-wing activists demanding pro-war messaging; its founding director was replaced. Other institutions have closed entirely: the Institute of Russian Realist Art shut in 2019 after its founder Aleksei Ananyev fled embezzlement charges, and Art4.ru, Russia's first private contemporary art museum, closed in 2024 after a nationalist raid. The GES-2 House of Culture, financed by gas magnate Leonid Mikhelson, lost its visionary director shortly after opening and now operates under a lawyer.