Biennale upheaval as jury quits and Russia, Israel return to prize race

Rome — Turmoil has engulfed the Venice Biennale days before the opening of its 61st International Art Exhibition, after the entire international jury resigned in protest and organisers announced sweeping changes to the awards system.

The crisis comes amid mounting controversy over decisions taken under Biennale president Pietrangelo Buttafuoco and follows the arrival this week of inspectors sent by Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli to review the institution’s governance.

With the exhibition due to open on 9 May, the traditional inauguration ceremony has now been cancelled. Instead, visitors will simply be admitted to the exhibition venues, while the Golden Lion awards ceremony has been postponed until 22 November, the final day of the show.

In a further dramatic move, the Biennale has scrapped the jury awarded national participation prize and introduced two new “Visitors’ Lions”, to be decided by public vote. Ticket holders who visit both exhibition sites between 9 May and 22 November will be eligible to cast one vote in each category.

The change means that both Russia and Israel will once again be eligible for honours after having previously been excluded from prize consideration by the outgoing all-female jury.

That panel, chaired by Brazilian curator Solange Farkas and including Zoe Butt, Elvira Dyangani Ose, Marta Kuzma and Giovanna Zapperi, had reportedly excluded the two national pavilions on the grounds that they were represented by governments accused of crimes against humanity.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni distanced herself from the dispute but made clear she disagreed with the earlier decision on Russia.

“I remain with my initial position,” she said after a cabinet meeting. “The government said it did not share the choice regarding the Russian pavilion. The Biennale is an autonomous body, and Buttafuoco is a highly capable person, but I would not have made that decision.”

The Culture Ministry insisted it had no role in the jury’s resignation and denied any intention of placing the Biennale under outside control.

Israeli officials welcomed the reversal. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar said on X that the resignations sent a clear message that “there is no place for politics, boycotts and antisemitism in the world of culture”.

Israeli sculptor Belu-Simion Fainaru, previously excluded from the competition, said artists should be judged on their work rather than their passport.

The political backlash in Italy was immediate. Opposition figures from the Democratic Party described the episode as an unprecedented institutional and cultural crisis, while the Five Star Movement condemned what it called an international embarrassment.

Supporters of the Biennale leadership, however, praised the creation of a popular vote. Luca Zaia said the move was an intelligent and authoritative response during a delicate moment.

The row has overshadowed what should have been the final countdown to one of the art world’s most prestigious international events, raising fresh questions over politics, censorship and artistic independence in contemporary Europe.

PS