During the preview week of the 61st Venice Biennale, escalating protests targeted the national pavilions of Israel and Russia, with demonstrations by Pussy Riot, ANGA (Art Not Genocide Alliance), and Baltic pavilions. A major protest on May 8 drew over 3,000 people in solidarity with Palestine, and 27 national pavilions—including Austria, the Netherlands, France, and Japan—staged a strike, the first at the Biennale since 1968. The Golden Lion jury resigned after declaring they would not consider countries under ICC investigation (Israel and Russia), and the Biennale administration replaced the prize with a visitors' award, from which half the artists in the main exhibition have withdrawn.
This turmoil matters because it reflects a growing crisis of legitimacy for one of the world's most prestigious art institutions, as artists and cultural workers demand accountability over geopolitical issues. The protests, strikes, and prize controversy signal that the Biennale's traditional neutrality is being challenged, potentially reshaping how international exhibitions handle political conflicts and national representation in the future.