The EU cancels two million in aid to the Venice Biennale for not vetoing Russia’s participation

The European Executive Agency for Education and Culture (AEEEC) has canceled this Tuesday an aid of two million to the Venice Biennale following the request of the European Commission following the controversy generated by the participation of Russia and the organization’s refusal to veto that country from the event.

“As a result of the legal opinion and the recommendation of the Commission, the AEEEC has taken the decision to end the two million euro subsidy that was being granted to the Venice Biennale Foundation,” said a spokesperson for the European Commission regarding the controversy and after Brussels asked to study the matter.

In this sense, the Community Executive emphasizes that cultural events financed with European taxpayers’ money “must safeguard democratic values, encourage open dialogue, diversity and freedom of expression, values ​​that are not respected in today’s Russia.”

The executive vice president of the European Commission for Technological Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, Henna Virkkunen, had urged the AEEEC to cancel the subsidy after the organization refused to ban Russia from the most prestigious art and architecture event in the world.

Brussels had threatened weeks ago to withdraw this aid if the organization allowed Russia to participate. In a statement, the Venice Biennale defended that it is “an open institution” in which any country recognized by the Italian Republic can participate, and stressed that it “rejects any form of exclusion or censorship of culture and art.”

The controversy over Moscow’s participation has also influenced the Biennial jury, which resigned en masse last week after refusing to include Russia and Israel in the exhibition’s awards, arguing that both countries have leaders “accused of crimes against humanity.”

As a consequence of this organizational change, the announcement of the winners, initially scheduled for May 9, has been postponed until November 22. This measure of delaying the list of winners only has the precedent of the 2021 edition, then marked by the restrictions of the coronavirus pandemic.