Venice jury named

La Biennale di Venezia has named the five-person jury that will decide the top prizes at the 61st International Art Exhibition in May. (labiennale.org) Solange Oliveira Farkas will serve as president, joined by Zoe Butt, Elvira Dyangani Ose, Marta Kuzma, and Giovanna Zapperi, the Biennale said on April 22, 2026. (labiennale.org) The group will hand out the Golden Lion for best national participation, the Golden Lion for the exhibition’s best participant, the Silver Lion for a promising young participant, and possible special mentions. The awards ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, May 9, 2026, in Venice. (labiennale.org) Those decisions will shape the opening of Biennale Arte 2026, which runs from May 9 to November 22 under the title *In Minor Keys*. The exhibition’s pre-opening is set for May 6, 7, and 8. (labiennale.org) This year’s edition includes 110 invited participants across the international exhibition, giving the jury a large field to assess before prizes are announced. (labiennale.org) The Biennale described Farkas as the founder and director of the Videobrasil cultural association. ARTnews reported that she founded the Videobrasil Biennial in São Paulo in 1983 and led it artistically until 2004. (labiennale.org) (artnews.com) The other jurors bring roles across museums, universities, and curatorial platforms: Butt is a curator, writer, and educator linked to in-tangible institute and deCentral in Thailand; Dyangani Ose is artistic director of the Public Art Abu Dhabi Biennial; Kuzma teaches at the Yale School of Art; and Zapperi teaches at the University of Geneva. (labiennale.org) Prize juries at Venice often become part of the exhibition’s story because Golden Lions can redirect attention toward artists and national pavilions during the opening week. This year’s jury will make those calls just before the exhibition opens to the public on May 9. (labiennale.org) (artnews.com)