Artists stage boycotts and protests at Venice Biennale over Israel and Russia

La Biennale di Venezia opened the 61st International Art Exhibition on May 9 under the title “In Minor Keys,” with the show running through Nov. 22 across the Giardini, Arsenale and other Venice sites. The opening followed days of protests, strikes and a jury walkout tied to the participation of Israel and Russia. Demonstrations began during the preview week on May 6 and continued into the eve of the public opening. Organizers kept both countries on the official list of national participations, while artists and activists used the preview days to challenge that decision. ### Why did Israel and Russia become the flashpoints before the opening? Russia’s return to the Biennale after its absence following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine triggered protests from Ukrainian activists, Russian dissidents and some European officials. AFP reported that the European Union and Italy’s government threatened to cut 2 million euros in funding over Russia’s inclusion, while Biennale President Pietrangelo Buttafuoco defended the decision by saying the event could not “boycott as an automatic response.” (labiennale.org) Israel’s participation drew a separate campaign from pro-Palestinian artists and activists who said the Biennale should exclude the country over the war in Gaza. La Biennale had already set out its position in a 2024 statement, saying countries recognized by the Italian Republic may autonomously request official participation and that petitions to exclude countries cannot be considered. (france24.com) ### What happened outside the Israeli pavilion? The Art Newspaper reported that more than 200 people gathered outside the Israeli pavilion on May 6 for a protest organized by the Art Not Genocide Alliance. Protesters called on organizers to close the pavilion, chanted “silence is complicity” and “shame on you,” and marched in the area around the Arsenale site, where Israel’s pavilion was installed this year. (labiennale.org) Around 60 artists from the Biennale’s main exhibition also joined the Solidarity Drone Chorus, according to The Art Newspaper. The group staged daily noon interventions during the preview days using a sound work by Gazan composer Ahmed Muin and wore shirts naming artists from Gaza. La Biennale’s official page lists Israel as a national participation at the Arsenale, with “Rose of Nothingness” by Belu-Simion Fainaru, commissioned by Michael Gov and curated by Avital Bar-Shay and Sorin Heller. (theartnewspaper.com) That listing shows Israel remained part of the exhibition despite the protests. ### What happened at the Russian pavilion? Pussy Riot and FEMEN staged a joint protest outside the Russian pavilion on May 6, wearing pink balaclavas and setting off colored smoke. (theartnewspaper.com) The Art Newspaper said more than 50 activists surrounded the pavilion and forced it to shut its doors temporarily. AFP quoted FEMEN activist Inna Shevchenko as saying, “This pavilion stands on Ukrainian mass graves.” (labiennale.org) The protest focused on Russia’s return to the Biennale after the pavilion was shut in 2022 when the commissioner and curator designated by Russia’s culture ministry withdrew. La Biennale said in its 2024 statement that the closure in 2022 was decided by the Russian side, not imposed by the Biennale. AFP also reported that the Russian pavilion would not be open to the public during the Biennale and that performances tied to its project would instead be recorded during the preview week and later projected on outdoor screens. (theartnewspaper.com) ### Why did the Biennale lose its jury and major prizes? La Biennale said on April 30 that it had received the resignations of the international jury. (labiennale.org) The Biennale’s 2026 homepage now states that two Visitors’ Lions were established instead, with the awards ceremony scheduled for Nov. 22 and voting procedures published on May 15. NPR and AP reported that the jury dispute centered on whether artists from countries led by figures facing international criminal accusations should remain eligible for prizes, with Russia and Israel at the center of that argument. (france24.com) The result was that the Biennale opened without its usual jury-awarded Golden Lions for best national pavilion and best participant in the main exhibition. (labiennale.org) ### How far did the boycott spread across other pavilions? On May 8, artists and cultural workers widened the protest through a strike over Israel’s inclusion. Euronews reported that about 20 pavilions were closed on the eve of the public opening, while The Times of Israel, citing protest organizers and other reports, said 12 pavilions were closed or partially shuttered and named Belgium, the Netherlands, Austria, Japan, North Macedonia and Korea among them. (vpm.org) The Art Newspaper reported that nearly 20 pavilions temporarily closed during the strike action. That protest showed the dispute had moved beyond the Israeli and Russian pavilions and into the wider structure of the Biennale’s national presentations. ### What happens next at the exhibition? The Biennale said the 2026 exhibition runs from May 9 to Nov. 22 in Venice, and attendance on opening day reached about 10,000 visitors, up 10% from 2024. (euronews.com) La Biennale has replaced the jury prizes with visitor-voted awards, and its site says the awards ceremony will take place on Nov. 22. (labiennale.org) (theartnewspaper.com)