The Venice Biennale
Criticism of the Venice Biennale has increased in recent weeks for its refusal to ban Russia from participating. And now, the government of Finland plans to minimize its presence at the event in response.
Organizations such as the Art Not Genocide Alliance (ANGA) have called for several states to be banned from participating in the Biennale, with the United States, Russia, and Israel being the three mentioned by name. The group has made a more general demand for the event to exclude “current regimes committing war crimes”. ANGA has started a petition signed by over seventy artists. Three of the five Biennale curators for the event’s main exhibition have also signed the petition. While the Biennale has not specifically commented on the petition, it has previously defended itself by stating that it forbids participation in “exclusion or censorship in culture and art.”
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Biennale stated that it would not collaborate with any actor that played a part in the beginning of the conflict. Russia was therefore banned from participating for two editions. Despite the conflict not yet ending, Russia has been invited back to its pavilion. The governments of twenty-one European Union member states, as well as the Ukrainian government, signed a joint letter protesting against this move. Furthermore, a letter from the European Commission published in the Italian newspaper La Repubblica claims that, by accepting a Russian delegation this year, the Biennale has violated European Union sanctions against Russia. The EC has now threatened to withdraw the €2 million in funding it promised for the 2028 edition unless the organizers reverse their decision.
Ukraine will have its own pavilion during the Biennale. The featured artist, Zhanna Kadyrova, has stated that the pavilion will not be used to protest Russia’s inclusion in the event.
Finland was one of the signatories to the joint letter. But they are the first country to announce steps taken to distance itself from the Biennale. Mari-Leena Talvitie, the Minister of Science and Culture, announced that none of the country’s political leadership will visit during the Biennale. Russia’s inclusion was named as the reason for this move, stating that “[Russian] participation must not be permitted as long as Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine continues.” However, Talvitie stated that while no elected officials or national representatives will attend, Finland will still have a pavilion for the sake of “promoting Finnish art and cultural expression”.
The Biennale has responded to these criticisms by making a compromise. Russia and Israel may be present, but they will be barred from receiving the Golden Lion and Silver Lion prizes. Though these countries were not named specifically, the event announced that these awards will not be given to any country with a leader currently wanted by the International Criminal Court. The Russian Pavilion will also be open only for previews rather than the full length of the Biennale. While this is a suitable arrangement for some, others remain unsatisfied.