Nearly half of the artists in the main exhibition of the Venice Biennale have signed a statement declining consideration for the Golden Lion awards, in solidarity with the jury that resigned last month. The statement, published by e-flux, includes prominent names such as Alfredo Jaar, Tuan Andrew Nguyen, Otobong Nkanga, and Walid Raad, as well as national pavilion representatives from France, Lithuania, and the Netherlands. The Biennale had planned to replace the jury-selected Golden Lions with "Visitor Lions" decided by public vote, but the artists' refusal marks an unprecedented protest within the exhibition.
This development matters because it deepens the controversies already roiling the 2024 Venice Biennale, which has faced intense debate over the inclusion of Israel and Russia. The original jury resigned after stating it would not consider nations charged with crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court, effectively targeting Israel and Russia. The artists' collective refusal to participate in the public vote undermines the Biennale's attempt to resolve the crisis and raises fundamental questions about the exhibition's claims to political neutrality, especially given its history of taking stands on geopolitical issues.