Venice Biennale stakes
The 61st Venice Biennale (opens May 9) will feature a record 99 countries and territories, with Vietnam debuting an independent pavilion and the Central Pavilion newly renovated for 'In Minor Keys' curated by the late Koyo Kouoh. Meanwhile MEPs are publicly urging EU leaders to block Russia’s return to the Biennale, arguing inclusion would undermine the event’s stance on aggression (en.vietnamplus.vn) (illustrarch.com) (euronews.com).
The Central Pavilion project was led by Labics with architect Fabio Fumagalli, delivered between December 2024 and March 2026 and financed under Italy’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR). (illustrarch.com) (archdaily.com) The intervention cost about €31 million, took 16 months, and explicitly aims for greater technical capacity and sustainability, including photovoltaic skylights and a LEED-targeted systems upgrade. (illustrarch.com) Conservation choices reinstated Carlo Scarpa’s original window fixtures, reorganised circulation around the central Sala Chini and re‑opened canal-facing terraces while reconfiguring Sala Brenno del Giudice to reference its 1928 layout. (archdaily.com) La Biennale says it will carry out Koyo Kouoh’s In Minor Keys with the full support of her family, and the institution lists pre-opening days on May 6–8 ahead of the main inauguration. (labiennale.org) Vietnam’s first independent pavilion will present Art in the Global Stream by Le Huu Hieu, curated by Do Tuong Linh, and will be hosted at the recently restored Ca’ Giustinian Faccanon palace in Venice. (dtinews.dantri.com.vn) At least 34 MEPs (some reports say 37) signed a letter to Ursula von der Leyen, Kaja Kallas and Cypriot FM Constantinos Kombos calling for the suspension of EU funding to the Biennale if Russia participates and asking for restrictive measures against individuals or entities linked to the Russian pavilion. (politico.eu) (theartnewspaper.com) MEPs and several European governments pointed to roughly €2 million in EU grants to the Biennale over three years as funds that should be frozen, while Italian Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli has asked the government’s representative on the Biennale board, Tamara Gregoretti, to step down over the handling of the Russian participation. (politico.eu) (theartnewspaper.com) Organisers have defended the decision to allow Russian participation as keeping art a space for dialogue, even as plans announced for the Russian pavilion—titled The tree is rooted in the sky—focus on a music-heavy programme presented by cultural envoy Mikhail Shvydkoy that has drawn sharp criticism. (politico.eu) (theartnewspaper.com)
