Artists, curators, and cultural workers are mobilizing for a potential boycott of the 61st Venice Biennale, set to open on May 9, 2026, in response to the event’s “complicit invitation” to Israel.
An open letter issued to the Biennale organizers on October 2 by the anonymous activist group Art Not Genocide Alliance (ANGA)—an international collective comprising artists, curators, writers, and art workers—calls for the “immediate and complete exclusion” of Israel from the upcoming Biennale iteration.
“After more than 700 days of genocide and 77 years of occupation, apartheid, and ethnic cleansing, the pavilion must remain closed,” the letter states.
The communication references a previous petition by ANGA, which garnered over 24,000 signatures, opposing Israel’s participation in the 2024 Biennale, supported by hundreds of artists who previously took part in the Biennale. “Now, 18 months later, we reiterate the demand for the immediate and complete exclusion of Israel from the Venice Biennale,” the letter emphasizes.
The last Biennale was overshadowed by protests targeting both the Israeli and United States pavilions. Ruth Patir, the artist chosen to represent Israel, faced criticism for her decision to partially close her exhibition, with some asserting that this response did not go far enough.
ANGA’s most recent letter also raises concerns about the planned relocation of the Israeli Pavilion to the historic Arsenale Complex, referring to an announcement from the Israeli Ministry of Culture made in late August. The ministry disclosed plans to create an “alternative pavilion” for Israel amid “renovations” at its usual location in the Giardini, the traditional venue for national pavilions since 1895, where Israel is adjacent to the United States. A floor plan and map indicate that Israel’s new exhibition space will be in the Sala d’Armi G within the south section of the Arsenale complex.
However, the authors of the petition argue that the ongoing boycott is the true motivation behind the pavilion’s relocation.
“At a time when Israel continues to escalate its genocide with the destruction and ground invasion of Gaza City, following months of enforced famine, the Biennale should be ashamed to engage with the cultural representatives of the Israeli occupation,” the letter asserts.
Israel abstained from participating in this year’s Venice Biennale of Architecture, citing renovations to their permanent pavilion as the reason. Critics at that time also noted mounting international pressure against their participation.
Hyperallergic has reached out for comments from the Venice Biennale’s organizing committee.
Calls for Israel’s exclusion from the upcoming Biennale arise amid a surge of global actions advocating for Palestine, particularly as ongoing Israeli military operations in Gaza have reportedly claimed the lives of over 65,000 individuals and resulted in injuries to more than 167,000 individuals. Various human rights organizations and a United Nations commission have classified these incidents as acts of genocide.
This morning, Israeli forces reportedly boarded and detained dozens of crew members from the international civilian-led Global Sumud Flotilla while they were attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza, breaking through Israel’s naval blockade. The convoy included humanitarian activist Greta Thunberg, Nkosi Zwelivelile Mandela, the grandson of anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela, and members of Artists Against Apartheid, including Carsie Blanton and Leila Hegazy.
In its letter today, ANGA has set a deadline of October 15 for the Biennale to respond, warning that failure to do so may result in “leveraging the movement to ensure maximum reputational and economic consequences for the Biennale.”
