Pussy Riot and FEMEN activists protest Russia’s presence after its absence following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine in front of the Russian pavilion at the 2026 Art Venice Biennale in Venice, Italy, on May 6, 2026.
Luca Bruno/AP
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Luca Bruno/AP
The 61st Venice Biennale began on Saturday amid a tumultuous backdrop of geopolitical tensions. These issues overshadowed the primary attraction of the event: the contemporary art featured at the festival.
In response to the opening, numerous artists declared they would withdraw from award considerations, marking the latest in protests surrounding this international art event. Historically, it has celebrated artists like Henri Matisse, Marc Chagall, and Jackson Pollock.
Artists such as Laurie Anderson, Alfredo Jaar, and Zoe Leonard, along with national pavilions from France, Ecuador, and the United Arab Emirates, endorsed a statement backing their withdrawal.
“We act in solidarity with the jury’s resignation,” the statement noted, referencing the mass resignation of the five-member Biennale awards jury on April 30.
Jury members Solange Farkas, Zoe Butt, Elvira Dyangani Ose, Marta Kuzma, and Giovanna Zapperi resigned days after declaring they would not give awards, including the notable Golden Lion for best national pavilion, to countries whose leaders have been charged with crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court, naming Israel and Russia.
This year, the Biennale decided that ticket-holders will choose the winners through an anonymous email vote. Winners will be announced on November 22, the event’s closing day.
Showcasing works by hundreds of artists globally, the prestigious Biennale often draws hundreds of thousands of visitors to the national pavilions, which are organized and partially funded by the participating countries’ governments.
Protests Erupt in Venice
The festival has been marred by significant public protests on the streets of Venice.
On Thursday, the art group Pussy Riot protested Russia’s return to the festival by storming its pavilion wearing bright pink balaclavas, setting off smoke flares, and chanting “No Putin in Venice.” Russia had not been invited since 2022.
On Friday, thousands also protested Israel’s participation due to the conflict in Gaza. Pavilions from Japan, Finland, and the UK closed temporarily as artists and curators joined the protest. According to The Guardian, the Israeli pavilion was closed for a private event on Friday morning.
Other nations have also been involved in the geopolitical disputes related to Gaza.
In January, South Africa’s pavilion was canceled after the culture minister asked artist Gabrielle Goliath to remove tributes to a Palestinian poet killed in Gaza. The artist refused, leaving the pavilion empty.
Australia’s artist, Khaled Sabsabi, and curator Michael Dagostino, were removed in February by the nation’s arts advisory body following accusations of antisemitism by right-wing politicians. They were later reinstated after backlash from the arts community.
Calls to Exclude the U.S.
Anti-U.S. sentiments have led to demands for the U.S. to be barred from the festival due to its involvement in global conflicts.
“The current conditions demand that La Biennale di Venezia exclude any official delegation from current regimes committing war crimes, including Israel, Russia, and the United States,” stated an open letter signed by 74 artists and curators, sent in March to Biennale director Pietrangelo Buttafuoco and published on the online art platform e-flux.
Jessica Kreps, a U.S.-based gallerist at the Biennale, shared with NPR that she has attended the event on and off for around 20 years. She observed that political issues seemed more evident this year.
“The Biennale should foster respectful dialogue,” said Kreps, a partner at New York’s Lehmann Maupin gallery, representing four artists at this year’s Biennale, with offices in London and Seoul. “The freedom of expression and critique is inherently democratic and embodies what being American is about. Our U.S. gallery focuses on supporting artists and creating space for thoughtful dialogue and differing viewpoints.”
Despite the protests, Kreps felt she could still enjoy the event. “I was able to see everything,” she noted. “There weren’t any obstructions.”
Historical Protests
Similar to other international events like the Eurovision Song Contest and the Olympic Games, the Venice Biennale has faced numerous protests over the years.
The 34th edition in 1968 coincided with global student protests. Demonstrators took over Venice’s St. Mark’s Square and clashed with police, criticizing the Biennale as a “bourgeois” and “capitalist” institution.
In 1974, after a military coup in Chile ousted Salvador Allende the year before, the Biennale’s director, Carlo Ripa di Meana, who sympathized with Allende, decided to cancel the national pavilions. He focused instead on themes of democracy and social change. The national pavilions returned in 1976.
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the Russian Pavilion’s curators and artists resigned, stating there is “no place for art when civilians are dying.” The pavilion remained locked and under Italian police guard for the fair’s duration, while a temporary monument for Ukrainian artists was organized by the Biennale.
The Biennale has not responded to NPR’s request for comment regarding this year’s unrest.
