Almost half of the artists in the 61st Venice Biennale's international exhibition, along with 16 national pavilion teams, have withdrawn from awards consideration in solidarity with the jury's resignation. The jury resigned on April 30 after stating it would not consider countries whose leaders are charged with crimes against humanity by the ICC, effectively disqualifying Israel and Russia. The Biennale Foundation then replaced the traditional Golden Lions with new "Visitor Lions" decided by public vote, reinstating all pavilions including Israel and Russia. The withdrawal follows protests at the Russian and Israeli pavilions and a historic labor strike that shuttered multiple pavilions.
This mass withdrawal matters because it marks an unprecedented political protest within the Venice Biennale, one of the world's most prestigious art events. The action directly challenges the Biennale's institutional neutrality and its handling of geopolitical conflicts, particularly the Israel-Palestine issue. By refusing to participate in the awards process, artists are asserting that art institutions cannot separate themselves from global human rights concerns. The controversy also highlights growing tensions between artists and institutional leadership over censorship, complicity, and the role of art in political discourse.