Venice Pavilion politics
- The U.S. Pavilion at the Venice Biennale is mired in political controversy even as curator Jeffrey Uslip says the show is running smoothly. (cnn.com) - La Biennale set the awards ceremony for May 9 and named a jury chaired by Solange Oliveira Farkas. (labiennale.org) - The Biennale faces pressure over Russia’s participation and possible EU funding cuts amid calls for Russia’s exclusion. ( )
The Venice Biennale opens on May 9 with the U.S. Pavilion under scrutiny and the wider exhibition fighting over whether Russia should be there at all. (cnn.com, labiennale.org, artnews.com) La Biennale said on April 22 that its awards ceremony will be held in Venice on Saturday, May 9, the same day the 61st International Art Exhibition opens to the public after previews on May 6, 7 and 8. The show, “In Minor Keys,” runs through November 22 at the Giardini, the Arsenale and other sites across Venice. (labiennale.org, labiennale.org) The jury will be chaired by Solange Oliveira Farkas and includes Zoe Butt, Elvira Dyangani Ose, Marta Kuzma and Giovanna Zapperi. La Biennale said curator Koyo Kouoh selected the panel and its board approved the appointments. (labiennale.org) At the same time, CNN reported that curator Jeffrey Uslip said the U.S. Pavilion exhibition itself is proceeding smoothly even as the American presentation has been hit by delays and political criticism. CNN’s current Style homepage describes Team USA at the Biennale as “chaotic.” (cnn.com) The pressure on Venice now extends beyond the U.S. Pavilion because Russia is set to mount its first national pavilion since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. ARTnews reported that this year’s Russian project is titled “The tree is rooted in the sky” and includes more than 50 musicians, poets and philosophers. (artnews.com) That return has drawn objections from Ukraine, artists and European politicians. ARTnews reported that European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said this week that Russia “should not be allowed to exhibit” and that the European Union intends to cut Biennale funding over the decision. (artnews.com) La Biennale has answered that it cannot bar countries recognized by Italy from taking part in the national pavilions. ARTnews said the institution has repeated that position this year after making the same argument in 2024 when it faced demands to exclude other states. (artnews.com, artnews.com) The Russia dispute lands in a Biennale that is large even by Venice standards. La Biennale says the 2026 edition includes 100 national participations, 31 collateral events and 110 invited participants in Kouoh’s central exhibition. (labiennale.org) Russia last showed in its own pavilion in 2019. In 2022, its artists withdrew after the invasion of Ukraine, and in 2024 Bolivia used the building instead of a Russian national presentation. (artnews.com, artnews.com) So the next test comes in Venice on May 9, when the prizes are handed out and the doors open. By then, the Biennale will be asking visitors to look at art while its organizers keep answering questions about politics. (labiennale.org, labiennale.org, artnews.com)
