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.
This controversy matters because it reflects deepening geopolitical tensions within the art world, with the Venice Biennale—one of the most prestigious international art exhibitions—becoming a flashpoint for debates about cultural exclusion and censorship. Kapoor joins a cohort of artists and curators who issued an open letter demanding the US, Israel, and Russia be barred from the Biennale, while officials have resisted, stating the event 'rejects any form of exclusion or censorship of culture and art.' The EU has also threatened to rescind a $2.3 million grant to the Biennale over Russia's participation, and Italy's culture minister has announced a boycott, signaling that the Biennale's stance on national participation has significant diplomatic and financial consequences.