Venice Biennale faces funding threat

The EU's potential funding withdrawal stems from the Biennale's decision to allow Russia to participate despite the ongoing war in Ukraine. This reverses the 2022 decision by curators to keep the Russian pavilion closed in protest of the invasion. The Venice Biennale receives significant funding from the EU, earmarked for cultural initiatives and international collaborations. Loss of these funds could impact the scale and scope of future exhibitions. Curators appointed by Russia have been working to set up the Russian pavilion, which is now called "PRACTICE". Artists chosen to represent Russia at the Biennale include Andrey Kuzkin, Irina Korina, and Alexander Shishkin-Hokusai.