All posts tagged: 2026 Venice Biennale

Venice Biennale Jury Says It Won’t Consider Israel and Russia

Venice Biennale Jury Says It Won’t Consider Israel and Russia

Published by José Betancourt

The Venice Biennale‘s jury said on Thursday that it would not consider nations whose leaders have been charged with crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court—a move that effectively tosses Israel and Russia out of the running for the top honors at the world’s greatest art exhibition. Issued the day after the jury was announced by the Biennale, the statement spoke of “a responsibility towards the historical role of the Biennale as a platform that connects art to the urgencies of its time.” The jury, led by Videobrasil founder Solange Farkas, said it was committed to the “defense of human rights” that was in keeping with Biennale curator Koyo Kouoh’s vision for the main exhibition. Related Articles “Consequently,” the statement continues, “this jury will refrain from the consideration of those countries whose leaders are currently charged with crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court.” A select few countries are currently facing those charges from the ICC. The ICC put out an arrest warrant on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in …

Venice Biennale’s 2026 Golden Lion Jury to Be Led by Videobrasil Founder

Venice Biennale’s 2026 Golden Lion Jury to Be Led by Videobrasil Founder

Published by José Betancourt

The Venice Biennale has revealed the members of the five-person jury that will decide the Golden Lions for the 2026 edition. The president of the jury is Solange Oliveira Farkas, who will be joined by Zoe Butt, Elvira Dyangani Ose, Marta Kuzma, and Giovanna Zapperi. Farkas founded the Videobrasil Biennial in São Paulo in 1983, serving as its artistic director until 2004. Farkas is currently the founder and artistic director of Associação Cultural Videobrasil, which supports the biennial. From 2007 to 2010, she was the director and chief curator of the Museu de Arte Moderna da Bahia. She has organized solo shows for artists like Isaac Julien, Joseph Beuys, and Sophie Calle, as well as the 2024–25 exhibition “Videobrasil. Needs no Translation” at the GES-2 in Moscow. Related Articles Dyangani Ose is the former director of MACBA, Barcelona, who resigned in February after the museum ruled that her role as artistic director of the 2027 Public Art Abu Dhabi Biennial was a conflict of interest. She previously served as director and chief curator of the …

Artists Criticize Somalia’s First-Ever Venice Biennale Pavilion

Artists Criticize Somalia’s First-Ever Venice Biennale Pavilion

Published by José Betancourt

Each Venice Biennale brings with it the debut pavilions of nations who’ve never before shown at the world’s biggest art exhibition, and these are typically causes for celebration. But in the run-up to the show’s opening in May, the inaugural Somali Pavilion has instead become a source of controversy, with artists from the country saying the organizers “neither meaningfully consulted nor included” representatives of the Somali art scene. In an extended statement posted on Monday, the Mogadishu-based Somali Arts Foundation criticized the show for failing to include artists who are based in Somalia. Related Articles As the foundation pointed out, all three of the artists included—Ayan Farah, Asmaa Jama, and Warsan Shire—have ties to Somalia, but they all work outside the nation. Farah is based in Stockholm, Jama is based in Bristol, and Shire is based in London. Farah and Jama were born in Somalia, while Shire is of Somalian descent and was born in Kenya. The pavilion is titled “SADDEXLEEY,” a reference to a form of Somali poetry, and is being jointly curated by Mohamed Mire, curator …

European Commission Asks Venice Biennale to ‘Clear Its Name’

European Commission Asks Venice Biennale to ‘Clear Its Name’

Published by José Betancourt

The European Commission, an independent arm of the EU responsible for enforcing EU law, has given the Venice Biennale 30 days to “clear its name” regarding the inclusion of the Russian Pavilion in the 2026 edition, according to a report by La Repubblica, which reviewed the letter. The letter, invoking the charge that the Biennale had violated EU sanctions against Russia, asks the exhibition to “respond to these allegations” and “inform us of any corrective measures you intend to adopt.” At stake is a €2 million ($2.3 million) grant that the commission is prepared to “suspend or terminate” entirely that would go toward the realization of the 2028 edition. If the Biennale reverses course on Russia’s inclusion, the commission will almost certainly move forward with disbursing the grant. Related Articles “In our view,” the letter reads, “the fact that—within the context of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine—the Biennale accepted the participation of Russian artists as a ‘governmental delegation’ (whose participation is entirely funded and promoted by the Russian government) via a national pavilion implies …

Ukraine Sanctions Russian Culture Figures Linked to Venice Biennale

Ukraine Sanctions Russian Culture Figures Linked to Venice Biennale

Published by José Betancourt

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree on Friday that has imposed sanctions on five Russian cultural figures who are involved with organizing the Russian Pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale. The news was first reported by UA News. They include Anastasia Karneeva, who is the commissioner of this year’s Russian Pavilion, and Mikhail Shvydkoy, Russia’s delegate for international cultural exchanges and a former culture minister. In a release about the decree, the Ukrainian government characterized them as “figures who justify the aggression and spread Russian propaganda at international events. All of them are linked to the aggressor state’s participation in the 61st Venice Biennale.”   Related Articles The Venice Biennale said in March that no sanctions had been broken. ARTnews has reached out to the Biennale for comment about these new sanctions. In its March 4 announcement of the national pavilions, the Biennale said that it “rejects any form of exclusion or censorship of culture and art” and that “La Biennale, like the city of Venice, continues to be a place of dialogue, openness, …

See Inside the Venice Biennale’s Newly Renovated Central Pavilion

See Inside the Venice Biennale’s Newly Renovated Central Pavilion

Published by José Betancourt

The Central Pavilion of the Venice Biennale, located within the Giardini della Biennale, has undergone a complete renovation ahead of the opening of the show’s 2026 edition in May. The total budget for the renovation was €31 million ($36 million); public funding was supplied by the the Italian Ministry of Culture’s National Plan for Complementary Investments of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR). The project is also part of the Culture Ministry’s “Great Cultural Heritage Attractors” program, which includes the enhancement of 22 sites around Venice that are connected to the Biennale.   Construction for the renovation, which has introduced a stark contrast between white walls and black ceilings and passageways, began in December 2024 and was completed in 16 months “within tight deadlines and in compliance with the milestones established by the National Complementary Plan to the PNRR,” according to a release. The renovation was overseen by architect Arianna Laurenzi with engineer Cristiano Frizzele, both of whom work for the Venice Biennale. The Biennale also tapped several other firms to consult on the …

Open Letter Calls for Israel to be Banned from Venice Biennale

Open Letter Calls for Israel to be Banned from Venice Biennale

Published by José Betancourt

The activist group Art Not Genocide Alliance released an open letter this week demanding that the Venice Biennale prevent Israel from participating in this year’s exhibition. The letter has been signed by nearly 200 artists, curators, and arts workers associated with this year’s edition of the Biennale. Among the signatories to the letter are curators Gabe Beckhurst Feijoo and Rasha Salti, two members of the team tasked with realizing the vision of the late curator Koyo Kouoh. Kouoh died last May just months after being announced as the curator of the 2026 Venice Biennale.  There are also dozens of artists included in the main exhibition, “In Minor Keys,” who signed the letter, as well as artists or curators associated with the pavilions of Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, France, Peru, Poland, Spain, Switzerland, and other countries. Twelve artists and curators from other pavilions have signed the letter anonymously, fearing “possible physical, political, or legal harms from signing publicly,” the letter explains.   Related Articles “We, the undersigned, stand together as artists, curators, and art workers in a …

EU Says It Could Pull Funding to Venice Biennale Over Russian Pavilion

EU Says It Could Pull Funding to Venice Biennale Over Russian Pavilion

Published by Jenni Sidey

The European Union said it could pull funding to the Venice Biennale if the show goes through with hosting Russia, adding to mounting furor over plans by the country to show at the world’s most important art exhibition for the first time since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Henna Virkkunen and Glenn Micallef, respectively the EU’s commissioners for technology and culture, said in a joint statement that staging the Russian Pavilion ran aground of the EU’s stance on the country, whose war in Ukraine is still ongoing. Related Articles “This decision by the Fondazione Biennale is not compatible with the EU’s collective response to Russia’s brutal aggression,” they wrote. “Should the Fondazione Biennale go forward with its decision to allow Russia’s participation, we will examine further action, including the suspension or termination of an ongoing EU grant to the Biennale Foundation.” They called Russia’s war in Ukraine “illegal” and said, “Culture promotes and safeguards democratic values, fosters open dialogue, diversity and freedom of expression, and should never be used as a platform for propaganda.” ARTnews …

Designer Dries Van Noten to Launch Foundation in Venice

Designer Dries Van Noten to Launch Foundation in Venice

Published by Jenni Sidey

Fashion designer Dries Van Noten and his partner Patrick Vangheluwe will launch next month a new foundation in Venice dedicated to craftsmanship. The new Fondazione Dries Van Noten will be located in the historic Palazzo Pisani Moretta on the Grand Canal in the San Polo neighborhood. Over the course of each year, the foundation will stage a number of presentations, collaborative projects, residencies, special events, and activations for artists, designers, and craftsmen at all levels of their careers. Related Articles The goal of the Fondazione is “to unite the arts by dissolving traditional boundaries, affirming that all creative expression stems from the gestures and skills that define human making,” according to a release. A manifesto published by the Fondazione reads, “Here, centuries of craftsmanship serve as a backdrop for new dialogues: between artworks and artisans, between past and present, and between local talent and international creativity. The Fondazione envisions Venice not as a static museum, but as a living, evolving hub where ideas circulate as freely as the tides.” The Gothic exterior of the Palazzo …

Dia Art Foundation to Stage Lee Ufan Exhibition During Venice Biennale

Dia Art Foundation to Stage Lee Ufan Exhibition During Venice Biennale

Published by José Betancourt

The Dia Art Foundation will mount a solo presentation dedicated to Lee Ufan as an official collateral event to the 2026 Venice Biennale. Opening May 9, the exhibition will be curated by Dia director Jessica Morgan and staged at the San Marco Art Centre. The exhibition in Venice, along with a display of Lee’s paintings and sculptures at the foundation’s upstate Dia Beacon, is pegged to the artist’s 90th birthday in June. Lee, who is associated with both the Mono-ha and Dansaekhwa movements, is best-known for spare paintings and installations—a few colorful brushstrokes set against a mostly white canvas, for example, or a single rock paired with a sheet of metal.   Related Articles Morgan worked closely with Lee to develop the exhibition, which will survey the artist’s seven-decade career and present historic and new paintings and installations, as well as a site-specific commission. The SMAC show will consist of around 20 works and be presented in eight of the venue’s galleries at the Procuratie in Piazza San Marco. “Dia has sustained a deep relationship …