The entire jury of the Venice Biennale has resigned just nine days before the start of the prestigious art event, amid strong tensions over Russia's return for the first time since the start of the war in Ukraine.
In a brief statement, the jury said the decision was consistent with its previous position of not considering countries "whose leaders are currently accused of crimes against humanity" for awards, referring to Russia and Israel.
The Biennale has been at the center of controversy for weeks. The resignation announcement came a day after a delegation from Italy's Culture Ministry visited Venice to gather information on the reopening of the Russian pavilion, an issue that had prompted the minister himself to announce a boycott of the Biennale.
Earlier in April, the European Union announced the withdrawal of a 2 million euro grant, considering Russia's return to the Biennale as "morally wrong" because, according to it, Moscow is trying to erase Ukrainian culture as part of its occupation.
In 2022, following Russia's war against Ukraine, the curator and artists involved in the Russian pavilion withdrew in protest against Vladimir Putin and the Russian occupation, leaving the pavilion empty. In 2024, Russia handed over the space to Bolivia.
On the other hand, the Israeli Foreign Ministry has previously described the decision to exclude the country from potential awards as "a contamination of the art world."
The Biennale jury was expected to announce a series of awards during the inaugural ceremony on May 9, but following its resignation, the ceremony has been canceled and visitors will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite pavilions themselves.
