Venice Biennale Faces a New Political Fault Line Over Russia and Israel
The 61st Venice Biennale is opening under unusual strain, with Russia’s return to the event in 2026 triggering a wave of protest and a parallel campaign to exclude Israel. What should have been a routine preview of national pavilions has instead become a test of how far the Biennale can stretch its claims of artistic openness while navigating sanctions, war, and international outrage.
Italian culture minister Alessandro Giuli has said he will boycott the Biennale’s opening week in response to Russia’s participation. Nearly 10,000 artists, cultural leaders, academics, and policy makers have signed an open letter urging organizers “to reaffirm the ethical principles” of the institution. In April, the European Union also withdrew €2 million in funding for the next edition in 2028, saying art should “never be used as a platform for propaganda” and that E.U. countries such as Italy “must act in line with E.U. sanctions.”
At the center of the Russian pavilion controversy is “The Tree is Rooted in the Sky,” a proposed exhibition featuring more than 50 young musicians, poets, and philosophers from Russia and other countries. Critics have focused on Anastasia Karneeva, the pavilion’s commissioner since 2019 and the daughter of Nikolay Volobuyev, the deputy chief executive of Rostec, the state-owned defense contractor. Newly leaked emails between Karneeva, Biennale president Pietrangelo Buttafuoco, and other organizers suggest that since January, officials had been working on a strategy to let Russia participate without violating E.U. sanctions. The correspondence also pointed to plans for performances during opening week, followed by recordings screened from inside the closed pavilion for the rest of the exhibition.
The Biennale has defended its position by insisting on its “absolute respect of the rules.” It has also framed the decision as a matter of principle, saying it “reject[s] any form of censorship in culture and art” and remains a place of “dialogue, openness, and artistic freedom.” That language marks a sharp shift from 2022, when the Biennale said it would not accept official delegations, institutions, or individuals tied in any capacity to the Russian government after Russia withdrew from the event days after the invasion of Ukraine.
The change has unfolded alongside a broader political realignment in Italy, where Giorgia Meloni’s government has installed allies in key cultural posts, including Buttafuoco as Biennale president. Venice mayor Luigi Brugnaro has said he would shut down the Russia pavilion if it carried out propaganda, while Nadya Tolokonnikova of Pussy Riot has vowed to protest what she called “Kremlin soft power agents” in Europe.
The pressure is not limited to Russia. Israel will be shown in the Arsenale this year while its usual pavilion in the Giardini remains closed for renovation, but activists have spent months pushing for its removal. Two open letters have circulated in recent months, including one from Art Not Genocide Alliance that drew nearly 200 signatories, among them artists Alfredo Jaar, Lubaina Himid, Brian Eno, Tabita Rezaire, Tai Shani, Yto Barrada, Sophia Al-Maria, and Meriem Bennani. The Biennale’s jury has also said it will not consider any country whose leaders face International Criminal Court charges of crimes against humanity for top prizes, a ruling that affects both Russia and Israel and leaves Russia’s group exhibition and Israel’s Belu-Simion Fainaru outside Golden Lion contention.
