Venice Biennale faces backlash over Russia's return as Pussy Riot protests

Lead

The Venice Biennale, one of the world's most prestigious art exhibitions, opened this week amid fierce controversy over Russia's return for the first time since its 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Protesters, including Russian punk group Pussy Riot and Ukrainian feminist organisation FEMEN, staged a dramatic demonstration at the Russian pavilion, while the event's jury has resigned over the participation of Russia and Israel, and the European Commission has moved to suspend a €2 million grant to the Biennale.

Coverage Comparison

Reporting from ABC Australia, BBC, France 24, The Guardian, and Jerusalem Post all highlighted the protests and the European Commission's response, though each offered slightly different emphases. ABC Australia and BBC focused on the protesters' perspective, with direct quotes from Pussy Riot's Nadya Tolokonnikova. France 24 framed the issue as a collision between art and international conflict, posing the question of whether cultural institutions can remain neutral during war. The Guardian noted the protests extended to Israel's pavilion, while Jerusalem Post centered on the jury's statement and its implications for both countries.

TASS, Russia's state news agency, presented the European Commission's official confirmation of the grant suspension but also included Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini's criticism of the move, calling it "greedy." The contrast between TASS's formal tone and the more emotive language in other outlets underscores the deep political divisions surrounding the Biennale.

Key Claims

• Russia is participating in the Venice Biennale for the first time since its 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine, as reported by multiple sources including ABC Australia and BBC.
• The European Commission has suspended a €2 million grant to the Biennale, officially confirmed by spokesperson Thomas Renier, according to TASS and other outlets. The Commission said it "strongly condemns" the Biennale allowing the Russian pavilion to reopen.
• Pussy Riot and FEMEN staged a joint protest at the Russian pavilion, with members wearing pink balaclavas and shouting slogans such as "Russia's art is blood" and "Russia kills! Biennale exhibits!" Police prevented them from entering the pavilion, which was blockaded for about 30 minutes, per ABC Australia and BBC.
• The five-member jury that awards the Golden and Silver Lion prizes announced it will refrain from considering artists from countries whose leaders face charges at the International Criminal Court, an apparent reference to Russia and Israel, as reported by Jerusalem Post and others. The ICC has issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
• Protests have also been held outside the Israeli pavilion, with demonstrators denouncing Israel's inclusion, according to The Guardian and Jerusalem Post.
• Ukrainian artist Zhanna Kadyrova's work, an origami deer cast in concrete, is being exhibited at the Biennale as a symbol of displacement and destruction caused by the war, as noted in a single report from France 24's podcast.

Perspectives

The controversy has drawn responses from various quarters, reflecting the deep political divides.

Protesters and activists: Pussy Riot's Nadya Tolokonnikova told BBC: "They're drinking vodka and champagne in their pavilion, soaked in the blood of Ukrainian children." She argued that Russia's push to return was part of its "hybrid warfare," using culture as a weapon. FEMEN's Inna Shevchenko declared that "the only culture in Vladimir Putin's Russia is blood." The activists called for the Biennale to stop taking Russian money and offered to curate the 2028 Russian pavilion with work by imprisoned artists.

Biennale organisers: The Biennale has defended Russia's participation, with President Pietrangelo Buttafuoco declaring the exhibition "open" to all countries that have relations with Italy, as reported by ABC Australia. Organisers argue that the Russian pavilion belongs to the Russian Federation and is not under Biennale or Italian state control, a point echoed by the Italian Deputy Prime Minister.

European Commission: The Commission has "strongly condemned" Russia's inclusion, arguing that "allowing the aggressor, Russia, to shine" on such a platform violates ethical standards linked to the grant. It has given the Biennale 30 days to challenge the suspension, according to TASS.

Italian officials: Italy's culture minister will not attend the opening, but Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini denounced the Commission's funding cut as "greedy" and noted that the Russian pavilion is not under Italian jurisdiction, as reported by TASS.

Art world and commentators: Reuters correspondent Angelo Amante, speaking on France 24, framed the Biennale as a microcosm of global political fracture, observing that "the turmoil on the international scene has really entered the exhibition." The jury's resignation, in particular, signals a deepening conviction that art institutions cannot remain neutral in times of war.

As the Biennale opens to the public, the protests and diplomatic tensions show no sign of abating, leaving a question hanging over the event: can art remain separate from the wars being waged beyond its pavilions?