EU warns Biennale over Russia
Euronews reported tension after plans to reopen the Russian pavilion prompted friction between Italian institutions and Brussels, with the European Commission giving the Venice Biennale 30 days to ‘clear its name.’ (euronews.com) ARTnews published the Commission letter urging the Biennale to address concerns about inclusion of the Russian Pavilion. (artnews.com)
The European Commission has given the Venice Biennale 30 days to answer allegations over Russia’s return, warning that a €2 million European Union grant could be suspended or terminated. (artnews.com) ARTnews reported that the European Commission’s Education and Culture Executive Agency sent the letter to Biennale president Pietrangelo Buttafuoco on Friday, April 10, with a response deadline of May 11, two days after the exhibition’s public opening on May 9. (artnews.com) Euronews reported the Commission threatened to freeze €2 million tied to the 2028 edition after the Biennale decided to reopen the Russian pavilion at the 61st International Art Exhibition in 2026. (euronews.com) The dispute centers on whether hosting a national pavilion backed by Moscow amounts to accepting indirect support from the Russian government while European Union sanctions remain in force over Russia’s war against Ukraine. (artnews.com) In a March 10 statement, Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen and Commissioner Glenn Micallef said they “strongly condemn” the Fondazione Biennale’s decision to let Russia reopen its pavilion and said it was not compatible with the European Union’s response to the war. (ec.europa.eu) Russia has not taken part in the Venice Biennale since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and ARTnews reported this is its first participation since 2019. (artnews.com) The Biennale has defended the decision by saying any country recognized by Italy can have a pavilion and that it rejects “any form of exclusion or censorship of culture and art,” according to ARTnews. (artnews.com) The backlash has spread beyond Brussels. Euronews reported in March that Italy’s government opposed Moscow’s presence, while Lithuania’s foreign minister called the move “abject.” (euronews.com) ARTnews also reported that 37 members of the European Parliament urged the European Union to strip funding from the Biennale and sought restrictive measures against people or entities involved in the Russian pavilion if they were linked to the Russian state or its propaganda apparatus. (artnews.com) The immediate next date is May 11, when the Biennale’s reply is due. By then, the show will already have opened in Venice, but the funding threat from Brussels will still be hanging over it. (artnews.com)
