Biennale jury set

La Biennale di Venezia has named the five-person jury for its 61st Art Exhibition, with Brazilian curator Solange Oliveira Farkas set to preside when awards are handed out on May 9, 2026. (labiennale.org) Farkas will be joined by curator Zoe Butt, museum director Elvira Dyangani Ose, university leader Marta Kuzma, and art historian Giovanna Zapperi. The Biennale said its board approved the panel on the recommendation of curator Koyo Kouoh. (labiennale.org) The jury will decide the Golden Lion for best national participation, the Golden Lion for the exhibition’s best participant, and the Silver Lion for a promising young participant, along with possible special mentions. The 61st exhibition, titled *In Minor Keys*, is scheduled to run in Venice’s Giardini and Arsenale from May 9 to November 22, 2026. (labiennale.org) This year’s appointment lands as the Biennale faces pressure over Russia’s return to the Giardini for the first time since 2019. ARTnews reported that European Union officials said they intend to cut funding because the Biennale is allowing the Russian pavilion during the war in Ukraine. (artnews.com) The European Commission has also asked the Biennale to answer allegations that the Russian pavilion does not comply with sanctions rules, according to ARTnews, citing *La Repubblica*. Earlier, 37 members of the European Parliament called for European Union funding to be withdrawn over the pavilion. (artnews.com, artnews.com) Ukraine is pressing Italy on visas for Russian participants. Interfax-Ukraine reported on April 22 that Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Kyiv expects Italy, as host country, not to issue visas to Russian participants in the 2026 Biennale. (interfax.com.ua) The Biennale has defended its position 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 also reported that the Biennale said it had sent Italy’s Culture Ministry the documentation tied to the Russian pavilion and argued the participation does not breach the current sanctions regime. (artnews.com, interfax.com.ua) The exhibition itself is large even by Biennale standards: La Biennale says *In Minor Keys* will feature 110 invited participants across the main show. The awards ceremony on opening day will now unfold under a jury that arrives with its choices, and the institution’s politics, already under scrutiny. (labiennale.org, labiennale.org)