The international jury of the 61st International Art Exhibition at the Venice Biennale has resigned just over a week before the festival was to announce its prizes on May 9, organisers said on Thursday.
The resignations come days after the jury announced they would not consider artists for countries whose leaders are facing charges at the International Criminal Court — an apparent reference to Russia and Israel — for the prestigious Golden and Silver Lion trophies.
Jury members included president Solange Farkas, Zoe Butt, Elvira Dyangani Ose, Marta Kuzma and Giovanna Zapperi.
After the jury’s abrupt resignation, the festival announced emergency measures, including the establishment of two Visitors’ Lions which will be awarded based on votes cast by eligible ticket holders. The awards themselves have also been postponed till November 22.
A press release from the Biennale read, “All National Participations included in the 61st Exhibition, as per the official list, are eligible for the Visitors’ Lion for the Best National Participation, following the principle of inclusion and equal treatment among all participants,” implying that Russian and Israeli artists are back in the running.
Organisers said this was “consistent with the founding spirit of La Biennale,” which is “based on openness, dialogue, and the rejection of any form of closure or censorship”.
The decision to let Russia participate, even as the country continues to wage war on neighbouring Ukraine, drew sharp rebukes from the Italian government of Prime Minister Georgia Meloni, who said it was “a decision not shared by the government,” but added that the Biennale was autonomous and its president “very capable”.
Her cultural minister took an even harder line, saying he would not attend the festival’s previews or its opening day on May 9 if Russia is allowed to take part. He also had a phone call with Israeli artist Belu-Simion Fainaru, where the minister “confirmed the Italian government’s commitment against every form of discrimination and antisemitism in Italian cultural institutions,” according to a statement from his office.
Fainaru had accused the jury of discrimination and threatened to take legal action.
The strongest response, however, came from the European Union (EU), which is looking to terminate a two million euro grant to the Biennale as a response to Russia taking part in the event. The Italian Ministry of Culture also sent a delegation to the Biennale on Wednesday to investigate Russian inclusion at the EU’s request.
Biennale President Pietrangelo Buttafuoco has refused to back down, saying the festival was “a space of coexistence for the whole planet” without censorship.
Cover photo: AFP
