Venice Biennale jury resigns days before start of exhibition

Lead

The Venice Biennale, often described as the "Olympics of the art world," has been thrown into disarray just days before its 61st international art exhibition is set to open on May 9. The entire five-member jury responsible for selecting the winners of the coveted Golden and Silver Lion awards has resigned, according to multiple reports, amid a heated dispute over Russia's return to the event for the first time since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The resignation was announced late on Thursday in a brief statement by the Biennale's organizers, as reported by the BBC and The Guardian. The move came just nine days before the inauguration of the event, and a day after a delegation from Italy's culture ministry visited Venice to gather information about the reopening of the Russian pavilion, per The Guardian.

Coverage comparison

Reports from BBC, Deutsche Welle, and The Guardian converge on the central fact: the jury quit over Russia's participation. However, the framing varies slightly. The BBC emphasizes the controversy surrounding Russia's return and notes the Italian government's opposition, while Deutsche Welle highlights the inclusion of both Russia and Israel as factors. The Guardian focuses on the decision to allow Russia to participate and mentions the Italian culture ministry's inspectors.

All three outlets report that the EU has threatened to cut funding to the Biennale over Russia's participation, though specifics differ: BBC mentions a two million euro grant being pulled, while The Guardian refers to a threatened termination or suspension of the same grant. The Italian government's stance is also covered by all, with The Guardian describing the government as "far-right" and BBC quoting Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni as saying the decision to allow Russia "is a decision not shared by the government."

Key claims

The jury's resignation is attributed to its previous decision not to consider countries whose leaders are charged with crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court (ICC) — a stance that effectively excluded Russia and Israel, as both countries' leaders face ICC arrest warrants. This claim is reported by BBC, Deutsche Welle, and The Guardian.

The EU's threat to withdraw its €2 million grant is consistently reported, with BBC stating the EU has already announced it is pulling the grant over Russia's return, which it deemed "morally wrong." The Guardian reports that the European Commission has threatened to terminate or suspend the grant.

The Russian pavilion's status is mentioned by Deutsche Welle, which reports that it will remain closed to the public and be accessible only during preview days. This detail was not included in the BBC or Guardian reports reviewed here.

Pussy Riot's Nadezhda Tolokonnikova has condemned the Russian show at the Biennale, according to Deutsche Welle. This statement was not mentioned in the BBC or Guardian reports.

Italy's government has clashed with Biennale organizers over Russia's participation, with the culture minister declaring a boycott and inspectors sent to Venice. This is reported by both BBC and The Guardian.

The Biennale's organizers have defended their decision, stating that the event is open to everyone and "rejects any form of exclusion or censorship," as quoted by BBC. They also argued that Russia owns its pavilion and cannot be barred from participating.

Perspectives

The jury's resignation has been framed by some as a principled stand against participating in an event that includes countries whose leaders face ICC charges. Others view it as a necessary consequence of the Biennale's decision to allow Russia to participate, which has drawn widespread criticism from European institutions and Italy's government.

The Biennale's organizers maintain that the event must remain a "place of truce in the name of art, culture, and artistic freedom," and argue that excluding Russia would violate the event's founding principles.

Following the resignations, the Biennale announced that instead of jury-selected awards, visitors will be invited to cast votes throughout the exhibition's run, with "Visitor Lions" to be awarded on the final day, November 22. This change has been reported by Deutsche Welle and The Guardian.

Italy's Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, has acknowledged the Biennale's autonomy but made clear the government does not share the decision to allow Russia, adding that the Biennale's president is "very capable," as quoted by BBC.

The EU's threat to cut funding underscores the broader political tensions surrounding Russia's participation, with the European Union deeming it "morally wrong" given Moscow's actions in Ukraine. The situation remains fluid, with the event set to open despite the upheaval.