Iran has not withdrawn from 2026 Venice Biennale, pavilion commissioner says

"“We neither submitted a withdrawal letter nor stated that we would not attend. Rather, we said we would participate and requested more time,” said Aydin Mahdizadeh Tehrani, the director-general of visual arts at Iran's ministry of culture and Islamic guidance (MCIG) and the country's pavilion commissioner, in comments to the Iran Students News Agency (ISNA) on Tuesday (12 May)."

"“In initial discussions there was no opposition to this, and they [the Biennale] did not say that granting time was impossible. In fact, they cooperated well-more than expected.” Mahdizadeh Tehrani said the Biennale's decision to announce Iran's absence days before the opening likely reflects its internal procedures."

"Mahdizadeh Tehrani said organisers had required confirmation by the end of March, when the US-Israel war with Iran was ongoing and the situation remained highly uncertain. He said the war played a major role in preventing a final agreement on participation in the Biennale, but that even beforehand a series of “major challenges”, including political and economic issues, had affected planning."

"He also cited a sharp change in currency values that pushed projected costs to three times the allocated budget, making full participation over the Biennale's seven-month duration unfeasible. Iran proposed a shorter participation period of “two or three months”, which was rej"

Iran’s culture ministry denies withdrawing from the 2026 Venice Biennale, which opened on 9 May, and states it remains determined to take part even if not for the full duration. The Biennale had announced that the Islamic Republic of Iran would not participate, without giving a reason. Iran’s pavilion commissioner says no withdrawal letter was submitted and that participation was requested with more time. The commissioner links the lack of a final agreement to uncertainty during the period when the US-Israel war with Iran was ongoing, along with major political and economic challenges. Currency value changes increased projected costs to about three times the allocated budget, making full participation for the seven-month run unfeasible. Iran proposed participating for two or three months.

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