La Biennale diffonde il regolamento per votare i Leoni dei Visitatori mentre molti artisti e padiglioni rinunciano a concorrere ai premi
The 61st Venice Biennale has opened to the public, introducing a controversial new voting system for the Golden Lions. After the entire jury resigned en masse on April 30, the Biennale decided to let the public decide the winners of the so-called "Leoni dei Visitatori" (Visitors' Lions). Voting is open from May 9 to November 22, 2026, and requires ticket holders to visit both main venues (Giardini and Arsenale) to receive a voting link. One vote per person is allowed for each of two categories: an artist in the main international exhibition "In Minor Keys" curated by Koyo Kouoh, and a national pavilion.
This shift matters because it marks a radical departure from traditional jury-based awards, raising questions about fairness, accessibility, and the risk of vote-wasting. Over fifty artists from the main show—including Guadalupe Maravilla, Eric Baudelaire, Alfredo Jaar, Yto Barrada, and Otobong Nkanga—along with fifteen national pavilions (Belgium, France, Switzerland, Spain, the Netherlands, Poland, and others) have announced they will not compete for the Visitors' Lions, in solidarity with the resigned jury. The Biennale now faces the challenge of how to handle votes cast for self-excluded participants, potentially invalidating many ballots.