// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhy did the 61st Venice Biennale goer bring a ladder? To take art to a higher level.
| 61st Venice Biennale | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Art exhibition |
| Begins | May 6, 2026 (preview), May 9, 2026 (public) |
| Ends | November 22, 2026 |
| Location | Venice |
| Country | Italy |
Previous event | 60th Venice Biennale (2024) |
The 61st Venice Biennale is a global international contemporary art exhibition that is being held in 2026 with participants from 99 countries[1] with public exhibitions days running from May 9 until November 22 with preview days started May 6.[2]
The declared theme for the main curatorial exhibit as "In Minor Keys," which was selected by Koyo Kouoh, chief curator of the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa. However Kouoh died a year before the opening, leaving her collaborators to fill out her vision.[3][4]
This edition of the Venice Biennale has been marred by several controversies, including the resignation of the jury days before the festival was scheduled to start, an initial jury announcement that it would not give awards to countries whose leaders were being indicted for war crimes, and the absence of the Italian minister of culture for the first time in the biennale's history.[1][5]
Background
[edit]The Venice Biennale is an international art biennial exhibition held in Venice, Italy. Often described as "the Olympics of the art world", participation in the Biennale is a prestigious event for contemporary artists. The festival has become a constellation of shows: a central exhibition curated by that year's artistic director, national pavilions hosted by individual nations, and independent exhibitions throughout Venice. The Biennale parent organization also hosts regular festivals in other arts: architecture, dance, film, music, and theater.[6]
Outside of the central, international exhibition, individual nations produce their own shows, known as pavilions, as their national representation. Nations that own their pavilion buildings, such as the 30 housed on the Giardini, are responsible for their own upkeep and construction costs as well.[6] Nations without dedicated buildings create pavilions in the Venice Arsenale and palazzos throughout the city.[7]
Central exhibition
[edit]Koyo Kouoh, chief curator of the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa, was selected to serve as the 61st Venice Biennale's artistic director but died in May 2025 from liver cancer only days after a diagnosis.[8][9] Nonetheless, the festival, in conjunction with the family continued her theme of "In Minor Keys."[10]
Ultimately there were 110 invited participants.
Controversies
[edit]The decision of the Biennale's president, Pietrangelo Buttafuoco, to permit the participation of Russia, Israel and the United States has provoked protests from a broad spectrum of parties, including private individuals, government ministries and benefactors.[11]
Participation of Israel
[edit]
In excess of two hundred participants of the Venice Biennale affixed their signatures to a letter, organised by the Art Not Genocide Alliance (ANGA), which demanded the cancellation of the Israeli Pavilion.[1][12]
The Israeli exhibition shall not be housed within the traditional pavilion situated in the principal grounds of the Biennale, known as the Giardini, but shall instead be installed in the Arsenale section.
After the jury announced it would not award prizes to artists from countries whose leaders were being tried for war crimes, Israel's foreign ministry released a statement saying that that excluding Israeli artists had "transformed the Biennale from an open artistic space of free, boundless ideas into a spectacle of false, anti-Israeli political indoctrination."[13]
Participation of Russia
[edit]
After being absent from the 2022 and 2024 editions of the Venice Biennale following the invasion of Ukraine, the Russian Pavilion was accepted for the 2026 edition with an exhibit titled "The Tree is Rooted in the Sky". Its inclusion came despite the objections of the Italian minister of culture, who vowed to boycott the opening ceremonies, a protest unprecedented in the Biennale's history.[12] The European Commission condemned Russia's participation and threatened to withdraw a $2 million grant for the event; however, the decision had not been reversed by 11 May.[1]
Russia subsequently announced that its pavilion would not be open to the public during the exhibition, although the media would be permitted to visit during the preview days. The work, which comprises floral pieces, remained visible through the building's windows.[1][14]
Participation of the United States
[edit]
The United States employed an atypical selection process for its pavilion. Officials at the State Department abandoned the decades-long practice of using an independent review panel to choose the artist, instead appointing a commissioner, Jenni Parido, who had no museum experience but ran a pet food company. Officials then struggled to find an artist willing to represent the country, with at least two rejecting the offer, partly on account of the financial risk. The curator, Jeffrey Uslip, ultimately selected Alma Allen, a U.S.-born artist resident in Mexico.[15] Two of his galleries subsequently withdrew from international representation.[16]
The United States was also criticised by Anish Kapoor for its "abhorrent politics of hate" and "incessant warmongering".[12]
Participation of South Africa
[edit]South Africa withdrew its participation after the country's minister of culture cancelled Elegy, a video installation by Gabrielle Goliath that mourns the victims of Israel's attack on Gaza, as the South African pavilion's selection for the forthcoming 61st Venice Biennale.[17]
The work was instead relocated to the Chiesa di Sant'Antonin in Castello, a historic church dating back to the seventh century.[18]
Resignation of the Jury
[edit]
On 30 April 2026, it was announced that all jurors of the Biennale had decided to resign their positions. The jury comprised five members, led by the Brazilian Solange Farkas. The other members were Zoe Butt (Australia), Elvira Dyangani Ose (Spain), Marta Kuzma (US) and Giovanna Zapperi (Italy). Although no country was named explicitly, all five jurors declared their reluctance to honour artists from countries whose leadership is subject to investigation by the International Criminal Court. This would have applied to Russia and Israel; arrest warrants have been issued against Putin (since 2023) and Netanyahu (since 2024).[19]
In response, the Israeli artist Belu-Simion Fainaru, representing the Israeli Pavilion at the 2026 Biennale, sent a formal warning citing "racial discrimination" and "anti-Semitism", and indicated the possibility of an appeal to the European Court of Human Rights. The Foundation's legal team also stated that the jurors themselves could be held personally liable for any damages arising from a dispute.[20]
As the Biennale now lacks a jury, the award ceremony was postponed from the opening to the close of the festival, and it remained unclear whether awards would be distributed. In their place, two "Leoni dei Visitatori" (Visitors' Lions), a gold and a silver, are to be awarded by visitors to the exhibitions.[21] Consequently, the awards ceremony scheduled for 9 May 2026 was postponed to 22 November 2026.[20]
Australian pavilion
[edit]In February 2025, Australia selected Khaled Sabsabi and curator Michael Dagostino to create a work for the Australia Pavilion, only to rescind the decision a week later after the News Corp outlet The Australian raised concerns and the matter was brought before Parliament. The reversal prompted outrage within the artistic community and led to resignations from the board of the commissioning body, Creative Australia; the five other shortlisted artistic teams declared that they would not permit their work to be shown.[22][23][24] A senator described the affair as an "international embarrassment", while the artist stated that he could no longer sleep, had suffered nightmares, and was deeply traumatised. A crowdfunding campaign and a "plea for help" to support an independent participation by the artist were subsequently launched. Several members of staff and the board resigned, the outrage among artists prompted calls for further resignations, and a letter from staff members condemned a "culture of fear, discrimination and mismanagement".[25] Following an independent review and significant public pressure, the decision was reversed in July 2025. Creative Australia apologised to Sabsabi, and he was officially reinstated as the Australian representative for 2026.
May 8 artist strike
[edit]A number of pavilions closed on Friday, 8 May, as artists staged a strike in protest against Israel's participation. Those affected included the pavilions of Austria, Japan, South Korea, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Egypt, among others.[26]
European Commission Funding
[edit]After an query into the opening of the Russian pavilion,[27] Kaja Kallas announced on 13 July 2026 that the European Commission had halted funding to the Venice Biennale.[28]
Artists on strike at the Japan Pavilion
Baby dolls on strike
Signs of protest at the Japan Pavilion
Artists and curators on strike at Czech and Slovak Pavilion
France Pavilion on strike
The chained doors of Belgium Pavilion
Signs blocking the Belgium Pavilion
The shuttered Netherlands Pavilion
Shuttered South Korea Pavilion
Shuttered Austrian Pavilion
National pavilions
[edit]Countries began to announce their national representatives even before the previous exhibition closed in 2024.[29] Each country selects artists to show at their pavilion, ostensibly with an eye to the Biennale's theme.[6]
Countries who had official national pavilions for the first time at the 61st Biennale included Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of Guinea, Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Nauru, Republic of Sierra Leone, Federal Republic of Somalia, and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Separately, El Salvador participated for the first time with its own dedicated pavilion.[17][30]
| Nation | Location | Artist(s) | Curator(s) | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albania | Giardini | Genti Korini | Małgorzata Ludwisiak | [31] |
| Argentina | Giardini | Matías Duville | Josefina Barciak | [31] |
| Australia | Giardini | Khaled Sabsabi | Michael Dagostino | [31] |
| Austria | Giardini | Florentina Holzinger | Nora-Swantje Almes | [31] |
| Azerbaijan | Campo de la Tana, Castello | Faig Ahmed | Gwendolyn Collaço | [32] |
| The Bahamas | Giardini | Lavar Munroe and John Beadle | Krista Thompson | [31] |
| Belgium | Giardini | Miet Warlop | Caroline Dumalin | [31] |
| Brazil | Giardini | Rosana Paulino, Adriana Varejão | Diane Lima | [31] |
| Bulgaria | Giardini | Gery Georgieva, Maria Nalbantova, Rayna Teneva, Veneta Androva | Martina Yordanova | [31] |
| Canada | Giardini | Abbas Akhavan | Kim Nguyen | [31] |
| Croatia | Gardini | Dubravka Lošić | Branko Franceschi | [31] |
| Cyprus | Gardini | Marina Xenofontos | Kyle Dancewicz | [31] |
| Czechia and Slovakia | Gardini | Jakub Jansa, Tomáš Kocka Jusko, Alex Selmeci | Peter Sit | [31] |
| Denmark | Giardini | Maja Malou Lyse | Chus Martínez | [33] |
| The Netherlands | Giardini | Dries Verhoeven | Rieke Vos | [34] |
| Egypt | Giardini | Armen Agop | Armen Agop | [31] |
| Estonia | Around Venice | Merike Estna | [31] | |
| Finland | Gardini | Jenna Sutela | Stefanie Hessler | [31] |
| France | Giardini | Yto Barrada | Myriam Ben Salah | [31] |
| Democratic Republic of Congo | Antico Refettorio – Scuola Grande di San Marco | Sammy Baloji, Arlette Bashizi, Patrick Bongoy, Damso, Gosette Lubondo, Nelson Makengo, Aimé Mpané, Léonard Pongo, Géraldine Tobé | Yala Kisukidi | [32] |
| Great Britain | Giardini | Lubaina Himid | Ese Onojeruo | [31] |
| Greece | Giardini | Andreas Angelidakis | George Bekirakis | [31] |
| Hungary | Giardini | Endre Koronczi | Luca Cserhalmi | [31] |
| Iceland | Docks Cantieri Cucchini | Ásta Fanney Sigurðardóttir | Margrét Áskelsdóttir and Unnar Örn Auðarson | [31] |
| Indonesia | Scuola Internazionale di Grafica, Cannaregio | Agus Suwage, Syahrizal Pahlevi, R .E. Hartanto, Nurdian Ichsan, Theresia Agustina Sitompul (Terre), Mariam Sofrina and Rusyan Yasin | Aminudin TH Siregar | |
| Ireland | Around Venice | Isabel Nolan | Georgina Jackson | [31] |
| Italy | Arsenale | Chiara Camoni | Cecilia Canziani | [31] |
| Japan | Giardini | Ei Arakawa-Nash | Lisa Horikawa, Mizuki Takahashi | [31] |
| Korea (Republic of) | Gardini | Goen Choi, Hyeree Ro | Binna Choi | [31] |
| Luxembourg | Around Venice | Aline Bouvy | Stilbé Schroeder | [31] |
| Malta | Arsenale | Adrian MM Abela, Charlie Cauchi, Raphael Vella | Margerita Pulè | [31] |
| Nauru | Around Venice | Kauw Tsitsi, CPS-Chamber of Public Secrets, Patricia Jacomella Bonola, Tedo Rekhviashvili, Sylvia Grace Borda, Ron Laboray, Dorian Batycka, Khaled Hafez, Iv Toshain, Stefano Cagol | Khaled Ramadan, Camilla Boemio, Stefano Cagol | [31] |
| Nordic pavilion | Giardini | Benjamin Orlow, Klara Kristalova, Tori Wrånes[35] | Anna Mustonen | [31] |
| Poland | Giardini | Daniel Kotowski, Bogna Burska | Ewa Chomicka, Jolanta Woszczenko | [31] |
| Portugal | Palacio Fondaco Marcello | Alexandre Estrela | Ana Baliza and Ricardo Nicolau | [36] |
| Romania | Giardini | Anca Benera, Arnold Estefán | Corina Oprea, Diana Marincu | [31] |
| Saudi Arabia | Giardini | Dana Awartani | Antonia Carver | [31] |
| Syria | Around Venice | Sara Shamma | Yuko Hasegawa | [31] |
| Switzerland | Giardini | Miriam Laura Leonardi, Yul Tomatala, Nina Wakeford | Gianmaria Andreetta, Luca Beeler | [31] |
| Taiwan | Around Venice | Li Yi-Fan | [31] | |
| United States of America | Giardini | Alma Allen | Jeffrey Uslip | [31] |
| Uruguay | Giardini | Margaret Whyte | Patricia Bentancur | [31] |
Belarusian independent participation
[edit]Although Belarus did not have an official state-sponsored national pavilion due to the political aftermath of the 2020 protests, the country was represented by an independent collateral event titled "Official. Unofficial. Belarus."[37] Organized by the Belarus Free Theatre and curated by Natalia Kaliada and Daniela Kaliada, the immersive exhibition took place in the Chiesa di San Giovanni Evangelista. The project aimed to recreate the atmosphere of totalitarian control, censorship, and political repression.[38] The opening of the exhibition was attended by prominent Belarusian democratic leaders and figures of the 2020 protests, including Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Maria Kalesnikava, and Viktar Babaryka.[37]
Among the featured artworks were a 2.5-meter sphere conceptualized by Mikalai Khalezin made of 336 books banned in Belarus, a cross constructed from CCTV cameras, and traditional Belarusian straw amulets (pavuki) made from metal prison bars by Vladimir Tsesler. The exhibition also included monumental paintings by Siarhiej Hrynievič, a 20-minute organ soundscape by composer Volha Padhajskaja, and a culinary metaphor of imprisonment—a tasteless wafer causing temporary facial numbness—created by the Michelin-starred Danish chef Rasmus Munk.[37]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 Palumbo, Jacqui (May 1, 2026). "The world's most important art festival is imploding over Russia and Israel". CNN. Retrieved May 4, 2026.
- ↑ "Biennale Arte 2024 | La Biennale Arte 2026 si terrà dal 9 maggio al 22 novembre". La Biennale di Venezia (in Italian). February 28, 2025. Retrieved April 6, 2026.
- ↑ "Venice Biennale Artists Push to Ban U.S., Israel, and Russia From Exhibition". Artnet News. March 31, 2026. Retrieved April 6, 2026.
- ↑ Marshall, Alex (April 29, 2026). "A Curator Died Suddenly. Could the Art World's Most Important Event Be Saved?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 6, 2026.
- ↑ "Venice Biennale jury resigns days before start of top art exhibition". www.bbc.com. April 30, 2026. Retrieved May 4, 2026.
- 1 2 3 Russeth, Andrew (April 17, 2019). "The Venice Biennale: Everything You Could Ever Want to Know". ARTnews. Archived from the original on April 20, 2019. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
- ↑ Herriman, Kat (May 16, 2019). "What to See at the Venice Biennale". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on June 2, 2019.
- ↑ Greenberger, Alex (December 3, 2024). "Koyo Kouoh Named Curator of 2026 Venice Biennale". ARTnews.com. Retrieved December 3, 2024.
- ↑ "Koyo Kouoh, pan-African curator and director of Zeitz MOCAA, 1967-2025". artreview.com.
- ↑ Carollo, Elisa (February 25, 2026). "The Venice Biennale Announces 111 Artists for Its 2026 Edition, Koyo Kouoh's "In Minor Keys"". Observer. Retrieved April 6, 2026.
- ↑ Greenberger, Alex (January 12, 2026). "Israel Plots Venice Biennale Return as Artists Threaten to Boycott". ARTnews.com. Retrieved May 4, 2026.
- 1 2 3 Bakare, Lanre; Tondo, Lorenzo (May 4, 2026). "Anish Kapoor says US's 'politics of hate' should exclude it from Venice Biennale". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved May 4, 2026.
- ↑ Marshall, Alex (April 30, 2026). "Venice Biennale Jury Resigns Amid Tension Over Awards Ban". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 4, 2026.
- ↑ Bakare, Lanre (May 5, 2026). "Dark clouds, protests and resignations dampen start of 61st Venice Biennale". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved May 6, 2026.
- ↑ Small, Zachary (May 5, 2026). "The Venice Biennale and Its Many Flashpoints: An Explainer". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 6, 2026.
- ↑ Miller, M. H. (May 8, 2026). "A Very American Controversy on the Art World's Biggest Stage". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 31, 2026.
- 1 2 "Hyperallergic's Guide to the 2026 Venice Biennale". Hyperallergic. April 23, 2026. Retrieved May 6, 2026.
- ↑ "Art Movements: A Canceled Biennale Show Finds a New Home". Hyperallergic. March 26, 2026. Retrieved May 6, 2026.
- ↑ The Kyiv Independent: Venice Art Biennale's jury resigns in protest over Russian, Israeli presence just days before festival starts, 30 April 2026
- 1 2 https://www.adnkronos.com/cultura/biennale-arte-ecco-perche-la-giuria-internazionale-si-e-dimessa-la-ricostruzione_18EyYsdJ8cU1mjbVXQGcwV
- ↑ ORF: Jury tritt aus Protest geschlossen zurück, 1 May 2026
- ↑ Cmielewski, Cecelia (February 14, 2025). "'A shameful call by Creative Australia': the arts community reacts to Khaled Sabsabi being dropped from the Venice Biennale". The Conversation. Retrieved February 24, 2025.
- ↑ Crabb, Annabel (February 18, 2025). "How Creative Australia's perplexing backflip on Khaled Sabsabi defines our current moment of turmoil". ABC News. Retrieved February 24, 2025.
- ↑ Solomon, Tessa (February 20, 2025). "Khaled Sabsabi Will Not Be Reinstated as Australia's Venice Biennale Representative". ARTnews.com. Retrieved February 24, 2025.
- ↑ The Installation Art Podcast: Bonus: Why This 2026 Venice Biennale Scandal Is Splitting the Art World – with Carrie Scott
- ↑ Marshall, Alex (May 8, 2026). "Artists' Strike Closes Pavilions at Venice Biennale, Adding to Upheaval". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 8, 2026.
- ↑ "Venice Biennale Russian pavilion: EU Commission confirms funding withdrawal". Euronews. July 12, 2026. Retrieved July 13, 2026.
- ↑ "Foreign Affairs Council: Remarks by High Representative Kaja Kallas at the press conference". European External Action Service. July 13, 2026. Retrieved July 13, 2026.
- ↑ "First Pavilions Announced for 2026 Venice Biennale". November 7, 2024.
- ↑ https://www.labiennale.org/en/art/2026/congo-democratic-republic
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 "2026 Venice Biennale pavilions: your go-to list [updated]". ArtReview. November 26, 2024. Retrieved December 3, 2024.
- 1 2 Silva, José da (April 28, 2026). "Venice Biennale 2026: all the national pavilions, artists and curators so far". The Art Newspaper - International art news and events.
- ↑ https://www.artforum.com/features/maja-malou-lyse-1000-words-thomas-patier-1234749621/
- ↑ "Dries Verhoeven selected as Dutch entry for the 61st International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia". Mondriaan Fund. August 4, 2025. Retrieved April 23, 2025.
- ↑ Amadour. "AN INTERVIEW WITH TORI WRÅNES ON REPRESENTING NORWAY AT THE NORDIC PAVILION OF THE 61ST VENICE BIENNALE: HOW RING-MARKED BIRDS, SINGING ZIPPERS, AND METAMORPHOSIS COALESCE INTO LIVING ARCHITECTURE". WHO IS SEEN. Retrieved August 1, 2026.
- ↑ "Pavilhão de Portugal é inaugurado esta sexta-feira na Bienal de Arte de Veneza". Observador (in Portuguese). Retrieved May 10, 2026.
- 1 2 3 "Здранцвенне і страх. Беларусы ўдзельнічаюць у Венецыянскім біенале з ашаламляльным павільёнам" [Numbness and fear. Belarusians participate in the Venice Biennale with a stunning pavilion]. Nasha Niva (in Belarusian). May 7, 2026. Retrieved May 8, 2026.
- ↑ "На Венецыянскай біенале адкрыўся беларускі незалежны праект «Official. Unofficial. Belarus»" [Belarusian independent project "Official. Unofficial. Belarus" opened at the Venice Biennale]. Reform.news (in Belarusian). May 7, 2026. Retrieved May 8, 2026.
External links
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