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.
The resignations expose the deepening politicisation of the world's most prestigious art exhibition, as the Biennale becomes a flashpoint for global conflicts over war, human rights, and freedom of expression. The crisis threatens to overshadow the artistic programme curated by Koyo Kouoh and raises questions about the Biennale's governance and its ability to navigate international sanctions and diplomatic pressures. The decision to replace expert jury deliberation with a popular vote also marks an unprecedented shift in the Biennale's prize system, potentially altering how artistic merit is recognised at a flagship cultural event.