The jury for the Golden and Silver Lion awards at the 61st Venice Biennale has announced it will not consider the national pavilions of any country whose leaders are currently charged with crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court. This decision specifically excludes Russia, whose president Vladimir Putin is charged with unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children, and Israel, whose prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is charged with targeting Palestinian civilians and using starvation as a weapon. The jury, presided over by Solange Oliveira Farkas and including Zoe Butt, Elvira Dyangani Ose, Marta Kuzma, and Giovanna Zapperi, issued a full statement explaining their commitment to human rights and alignment with the curatorial vision of the late Koyo Kouoh.
This decision matters because it directly challenges the Venice Biennale's traditional structure of nation-state representation, linking artistic participation to the actions of governments. The exclusion of Russia, absent since 2022, and the continued presence of Israel had already sparked significant opposition; the jury's move adds institutional weight to calls for accountability. By tying award eligibility to ICC charges, the jury sets a precedent that could reshape how major international exhibitions engage with geopolitics, potentially influencing future biennials and art-world responses to state actions.