Biennale Jury Announced

La Biennale di Venezia has named the five-member international jury for Biennale Arte 2026, with Brazilian curator Solange Oliveira Farkas serving as president. (labiennale.org) The other jurors are Zoe Butt, Elvira Dyangani Ose, Marta Kuzma, and Giovanna Zapperi, according to the Biennale’s April 22 announcement. The awards ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, May 9, 2026, in Venice, the exhibition’s opening day. (labiennale.org) Biennale Arte 2026, the 61st International Art Exhibition, runs from May 9 to November 22, with preview days on May 6, 7, and 8 at the Giardini, the Arsenale, and other sites across Venice. The exhibition carries the title *In Minor Keys* and will proceed with the support of curator Koyo Kouoh’s family after her death this year. (labiennale.org; labiennale.org) The jury matters because it selects the Biennale’s top prizes, including the Golden Lion for best national participation and the Silver Lion for a promising young participant in the international exhibition. Those decisions land at the start of a show that the Biennale says will include 110 invited participants. (labiennale.org; labiennale.org) This year’s jury announcement comes as the Biennale faces pressure over the return of the Russian Pavilion, Russia’s first participation since 2019. ARTnews reported that European Union officials said they intend to cut funding over the pavilion’s inclusion during Russia’s war in Ukraine. (artnews.com; artnews.com) The dispute has widened in recent weeks. ARTnews reported that 37 members of the European Parliament called on the European Union to strip funding from the Biennale, while the European Commission gave the institution 30 days to respond to allegations tied to the Russian Pavilion. (artnews.com; artnews.com) The Biennale has defended its position by saying countries recognized by Italy are allowed to maintain pavilions and that the exhibition rejects exclusion or censorship of culture and art, according to ARTnews. Ukraine’s foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha, said the pavilion risks turning the exhibition into a platform for “whitewashing” Russia’s war. (artnews.com; artnews.com) For now, the Biennale is moving ahead on its published schedule: previews begin May 6, the awards are set for May 9, and the new jury will deliver the first major verdicts of the 2026 edition in Venice. (labiennale.org; labiennale.org)