The entire jury of the Venice Biennale resigned just days before the 61st international art exhibition's opening on May 9, following a dispute over the decision to allow Russia to participate. The five-member panel, led by Solange Farkas and including Zoe Butt, Elvira Dyangani Ose, Marta Kuzma, and Giovanna Zapperi, had previously stated it would not award prizes to artists from countries whose leaders face charges of crimes against humanity, a move seen as targeting Russia and Israel. The Biennale responded by postponing the award ceremony to November 22 and announcing it would give two awards, including one that could go to any national participation, citing its founding principles of openness and rejection of censorship.
This controversy matters because it highlights the ongoing tension between cultural institutions and geopolitical pressures, particularly regarding Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The European Commission has threatened to suspend a €2 million grant to the Biennale due to Russia's involvement, while Italy's far-right government has clashed with organizers over the decision. The Biennale's stance—that it must remain "a place of truce in the name of art"—is being tested against calls from Ukrainian officials and MEPs to exclude Russia, raising fundamental questions about the role of international art events in times of war and human rights crises.