Italy's Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli has demanded the resignation of Tamara Gregoretti, the government's representative on the Venice Biennale board, accusing her of failing to alert the ministry to Russia's planned return to the 2026 exhibition. Russia announced it will reopen its national pavilion for the first time since 2019 with a presentation titled 'The Tree Is Rooted in the Sky,' curated by Anastasia Karneeva and featuring over 30 artists.
The controversy has ignited a major political and cultural dispute across Europe. Twenty-two European culture ministers have signed a letter urging the Biennale to reconsider, warning that Russia's participation projects normalcy amid its war in Ukraine. EU officials have stated the decision could jeopardize roughly €2 million in EU funding, deeming it incompatible with the bloc's response to Russian aggression, while an online petition from the cultural sector has gathered thousands of signatures opposing the pavilion's return.