On May 6, 2026, the art collective Pussy Riot and the Ukrainian feminist group FEMEN staged a protest outside the Russian Pavilion at the 61st Venice Biennale. Approximately 50 activists released pink smoke and blue-and-yellow flares evoking the Ukrainian flag, while FEMEN members staged a topless protest with anti-war slogans like “RUSSIA KILLS, BIENNALE EXHIBITS.” Italian police and Biennale security blocked access to the pavilion, and some Pussy Riot activists were tackled after entering. The protest targeted Russia’s participation in the Biennale for the first time since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with activists condemning the event for lending legitimacy to Russian officials and artists aligned with the government.
This protest matters because it highlights ongoing tensions between cultural institutions and geopolitical conflicts, specifically the Venice Biennale’s decision to include Russia despite international sanctions and the war in Ukraine. The action underscores the role of art as a platform for political dissent, with Pussy Riot and FEMEN demanding that imprisoned and exiled Russian artists represent the nation instead. The Biennale’s compromise—restricting the pavilion to preview days only—has drawn criticism as insufficient, raising broader questions about how major art events navigate complicity, censorship, and ethical participation during wartime.