Art News. Vasari Codex

article news schedule May 11, 2026 visibility 18 link 13 artists

More than 70 Venice Biennale artists withdraw from awards

More than 70 artists participating in the 2025 Venice Biennale have withdrawn from consideration for the Golden Lion awards, which this year will be decided by public vote. The artists, including Walid Raad, Laurie Anderson, and Yto Barrada, signed a statement published on e-flux on May 9, withdrawing in solidarity with the entire prize jury that resigned last month over a dispute regarding the participation of Israel and Russia. The Biennale management replaced the traditional jury-selected awards with a new "Visitor Lion" system where ticket holders can vote, but the Biennale has acknowledged that if any of the withdrawing artists win, they will not collect the award.

newspaper The Art Newspaper open_in_new Read original

article news schedule May 9, 2026 visibility 25 link 57 artists

Biennale, rules announced for Visitor's Lion. But dozens of artists withdraw

The Venice Biennale has announced the voting rules for the new Visitors' Lion awards, which replace the traditional Golden Lions after the original jury resigned before the opening. On the same day the popular voting opened, dozens of artists from the central exhibition 'In Minor Keys' and several National Pavilions announced their withdrawal from the competition in solidarity with the resigned jury, releasing a statement via e-flux on May 9, 2026. The voting system requires visitors to have attended both the Giardini and Arsenale venues, with anonymous voting open until November 22, 2026.

newspaper Finestre sull'Arte open_in_new Read original

article policy schedule Oct 13, 2025 source 2 sources visibility 13 link 2 artists

Pepperdine Closes Exhibit Featuring “Overtly Political” Art

Pepperdine University in Malibu, California, closed the exhibition “Hold My Hand In Yours” at the Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art on October 6, after artists discovered their works had been removed or altered for being “overtly political.” The show, curated by museum director Andrea Gyorody, explored the imagery of hands in relation to labor and care. One artist found her video turned off at the university’s request, and a sculpture was modified to hide text reading “Save the Children” and “Abolish ICE.” The affected artists requested their pieces be removed, and others withdrew in solidarity. University officials cited a policy to avoid overtly political content consistent with its nonprofit status, and offered apologies while honoring compensation agreements.

newspaper Inside Higher Ed open_in_new Read original

article news schedule Sep 24, 2025 visibility 12 link 2 artists

The Rise in Artist-Led Withdrawals from Museums and Galleries

Contemporary museums and galleries are increasingly facing artist-led withdrawals from exhibitions, as living artists pull their work over disagreements about how their messages are presented. The trend reflects a growing tension between artists' intentions and the need to satisfy other stakeholders in an increasingly politicized and polarized art world.

newspaper Art & Object open_in_new Read original