The Venice Biennale Parties On Despite Protests, Policing, and Pushback | The Walrus

"On April 30, the five-person jury resigned in protest of the inclusion of Russian and Israeli pavilions, citing the International Criminal Court's decision to charge Russian president Vladimir Putin and Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu with war crimes. And while exhibition, and award recognition, at the Biennale can be the peak of an artist's career, over eighty artists, curators, and exhibition staff have withdrawn from prize consideration in solidarity with the judges' resignation."

"The Biennale has always reflected the politics of its time: in 1968, the festival was consumed with student protests; in 1974, the Biennale director dedicated the festival to Chile and protests of the Augusto Pinochet regime; in 1977, the "Biennale of Dissent" featured unauthorized Soviet art, prompting the director to temporarily resign. The last iteration of the Biennale, in 2024, was even the subject of a Harper's Magazine cover: "The Painted Protest: How politics destroyed contemporary art.""

"The Russian pavilion is still slinging vodka"

The Venice Biennale, founded in 1895, is facing major controversy in its sixty-first iteration. On April 30, a five-person jury resigned in protest of Russian and Israeli pavilions after the International Criminal Court charged Vladimir Putin and Benjamin Netanyahu with war crimes. Over eighty artists, curators, and exhibition staff withdrew from prize consideration in solidarity with the judges. The Biennale has repeatedly reflected political conflict, including student protests in 1968, dedication to Chile and protests against Augusto Pinochet in 1974, and a “Biennale of Dissent” in 1977 featuring unauthorized Soviet art. The current atmosphere is marked by protests and policing, yet the Russian pavilion continues operating, including serving vodka and playing music.

Read at The Walrus