The Art Not Genocide Alliance (ANGA) has announced a 24-hour strike for Friday, May 8, coinciding with previews of the 2026 Venice Biennale, alongside a protest rally organized by local group Biennalocene and Italian trade unions. Earlier this week, sixty artists staged a sonic protest at the Giardini entrance to draw attention to the plight of those affected by genocide and war in Palestine and elsewhere. The Latvian pavilion has also encouraged attendees to wear a design by artist Krišs Salmanis reading “Death in Venice – Russia go home!” Meanwhile, dissident artists Pussy Riot stormed the Russian pavilion waving Ukrainian flags, and the entire 2026 Biennale jury resigned after the decision to exclude countries whose leaders are charged with crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court from competing for top prizes.
These protests matter because they underscore the Venice Biennale’s deepening entanglement with geopolitical conflicts, particularly the wars in Gaza and Ukraine. The controversy has already prompted the EU to cut funding for the 2028 Biennale, and Russia’s pavilion will be closed to the public. The mass resignation of the jury and the refusal of prominent artists to participate in the US pavilion signal a crisis of legitimacy for one of the art world’s most prestigious institutions, raising urgent questions about the role of international exhibitions in times of war and state violence.