Dramatic twist at the Venice Art Biennale: what happened and why

A few days after the official start on May 9th, the lagoon city has become the theater of one unprecedented crisis which intertwines geopolitics, law, diplomacy and culture, overwhelming consolidated certainties and imposing a series of extraordinary decisions that mark a fracture in the very history of the centuries-old event. This is not a simple controversy or an accident. It’s a domino effect that has affected every level of the organization: from internal governance to international relations, up to the role of Italian and European institutions. The result is an edition that promises to be the most controversial ever, a 2026 Art Biennale that has already rewritten its own rules even before it opens.

Ceremonies and awards, everything stops

The first sign of rupture is sensational: skips the traditional opening ceremony. Something that has never happened in these terms. With it, the awarding of the Golden and Silver Lions also ceases, a symbolic moment that has always marked the official start of the event. In place of the international jury, which resigned en bloc, visitors will vote for the prizes. The awards will only be awarded on November 22nd, the last day of opening.

A decision that radically changes the nature of the Biennale: from an event led by a curatorial elite to a participatory, almost plebiscitarian experience. A choice that the Foundation chaired by Pietrangelo Buttafuoco justified with “the exceptional nature of the geopolitical situation”, but which in reality appears to be an obligatory solution in the face of a conflict that has become unmanageable. To try to calm the waters came a note from the MiC: “It is not, and it is not It was never the intention of the Ministry of Culture to commission the president of the Venice Biennale. The MiC limited itself to requesting and obtaining administrative documents to be made available to the Maeci and Palazzo Chigi for the necessary assessments regarding the EU’s requests on compliance with the sanctions framework against the Russian Federation. As for the resignation of the international jury of the Biennale, it was learned by the MiC from the media, and concerns exclusively the autonomous power of the Venice Biennale. Minister Giuli, as per public declarations, confirms the identity of views with the Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni”.

Tensions over Israel and Russia

At the center of the crisis of the day is the resignation of the international jury, chaired by Solange Farkas. A decision made after days of tensions linked to the choice – which later proved explosive – to exclude from the award ceremony some countries involved in international controversies. The jury had in fact declared its intention not to award prizes to states accused of crimes against humanity, referring in particular to Russia and Israel. An ethical and political stance which, however, opened up a very delicate legal front. The regulations of the Biennale, according to various interpretations, would not in fact allow such an exclusion. Hence the risk of disputes and the growing institutional pressure. The resignation came as the final act of a now unsustainable situation: a gesture that avoided a head-on collision.

What made the atmosphere even more incandescent was the reaction of the artist Belu-Simion Fainaru, representative of the Israeli pavilion. Through his lawyers, Fainaru sent a formal warning to the Biennale, the Ministry of Culture and the Presidency of the Council, denouncing discrimination based on nationality. The artist claimed the principle according to which works must be judged independently of the passport of those who create them, also evoking possible profiles of anti-Semitism.

The Mic inspectors

The intervention of the Ministry of Culture was inserted into this already explosive context. For two days, a team of four inspectors led by Angelo Piero Cappello worked at the Biennale headquarters in Ca’ Giustinian, acquiring documents and analyzing the procedures adopted in detail. The inspection covered a wide spectrum of activities: from administrative management to relations with the participating countries, up to the decisions of the jury. An operation defined as “ordinary” by minister Alessandro Giuli, but perceived by many as a strong political signal. The president of the Biennale, Pietrangelo Buttafuoco, apparently expressed irritation at the timing and methods of the intervention, underlining the delicacy of the moment so close to the opening.

Among the most sensitive dossiers examined by the inspectors is that of the Russian Federation. Despite European sanctions linked to the war in Ukraine, the Russian pavilion at the Giardini is expected to reopen for just three days during the opening (6-8 May), and then close again when it officially opens to the public on 9 May. A hybrid solution, which has sparked criticism and protests. The presence, albeit temporary, of Russia has become the symbol of the contradictions of the Biennale: inclusion versus sanctions, dialogue versus isolation. The issue also had repercussions at a European level. Culture Commissioner Glenn Micallef announced that he will not attend the inauguration as long as Russia is invited. A position that also raises questions about the future of community funding, at least 2 million euros are at risk for projects related to cinema.

Giuli’s no

Further complicating the situation is the decision of minister Alessandro Giuli not to participate in the inauguration to signal the government’s distance from the Biennale’s decision to allow the return of Russia, Ukraine’s aggressor country. A gesture which, beyond the official reasons, takes on a clear political meaning. For the first time, the Biennale Arte opens without the representative of the Italian government. An institutional void that weighs heavily and reflects the depth of the ongoing crisis.

In an attempt to break the impasse, the Foundation has chosen a radical path: entrusting the decision on the prizes to visitors. All participating countries, including Russia, Israel, Iran and the United States, will compete on an equal basis. Thus was born the “Lion of Visitors”, a formula that recalls the democratic spirit but which also represents a retreat from the critical and curatorial tradition of the Biennale.

The role of the Biennial

The crisis of 2026 brings an ancient question back to the center but today more relevant than ever: what should be the role of the Biennale? Since its inception, the event has defined itself as a neutral space, a sort of “UN of the arts” capable of overcoming political divisions. But in a world marked by wars, sanctions and polarization, this neutrality appears increasingly difficult to sustain. The pressure for art to take a stand clashes with the need to preserve a space of freedom. The result is an unstable balance, which the current crisis has made evident in all its fragility.

Over 22 thousand people and more than 3,000 journalists are expected during the opening days, from 5 to 8 May. Venice will be, once again, the center of the global artistic system. But this centrality has a different face today: not only creativity, but also conflict. (by Paolo Martini)