Venice Biennale’s international jury resigns as Italy's government opposed Russia's participation

It followed a visit to the Biennale by Cultural Ministry officials who arrived on Wednesday to gather information about the reopening of the Russian Pavilion. The Italian government has opposed the Biennale's decision to allow Russia to participate in the international exhibition.

The jury was due to select winners of the highly prestigious Golden Lion and other prizes on the official opening day on May 9. The Biennale announced that after the jury's resignation, visitors to the Biennale will select winners of two awards: Best Participant in the 61st curated Exhibition “In Minor Keys,” and the Best National Participation among the 100 national pavilions. It will be awarded on the closing day, Nov. 22.

Premier Giorgia Meloni, asked about the resignations, reiterated that the government didn’t agree with the Biennale’s decision to allow the Russians to participate, but acknowledged that the Biennale is autonomous.

She said that she didn’t know if the resignations were connected to the Culture Ministry’s decision to send inspectors to Venice.

Cabinet Minister Matteo Salvini said that it was a “great idea” by the Biennale leadership to allow the exhibition’s spectators to decide the ultimate winner of the Biennale, at the end, and not a jury.

“So it will be an autonomous and democratic Biennale,” he said. “It doesn’t get any better than that.”

The European Union last week slashed a 2-million euro ($2.3-million) grant to the Venice Biennale over Russia’s participation in the exhibition for the first time since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Russian artists withdrew their participation in 2022, and Russia did not present an exhibition in 2024 for its permanent pavilion, which it instead lent to Bolivia. Russia last participated in the International Art Exhibition in 2019.

The Biennale said in a statement that it “does not have the authority to prevent a country from participating. Any country recognized by the Italian Republic may request to participate.’’

Since Russia owns the pavilion built in 1914 in the historic Giardini, it was required only to send notification of its request to participate, the Biennale said.

“La Biennale di Venezia rejects any form of exclusion or censorship of culture and art. The Biennale, like the city of Venice, continues to be a place of dialogue, openness and artistic freedom, encouraging connections between peoples and cultures, with the constant hope for an end to conflicts and suffering,’’ the Biennale said.

The Biennale contemporary art exhibition is the world’s oldest and most important, comprising a main exhibition alongside national pavilions, which are curated separately by the participating nations.

The Biennale has in the past refused pressure to exclude countries, including Iran and Israel, from participating.

Nicole Winfield contributed to this report from Rome.