The 61st Venice Biennale of Contemporary Art has opened to the general public
10 May 06:09
The 61st Venice Biennale of Contemporary Art opened to the general public on Saturday, May 9, following several days of protests against the participation of Russia and Israel, according to "Komersant Ukrainian", citing DW.
On the eve of the opening, amid criticism surrounding the Russian and Israeli pavilions, the Biennale jury excluded Russia and Israel from the list of award nominees and resigned.
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As noted by the media, the traditional official opening ceremony of the Biennale did not take place on May 9. Due to the absence of a jury, the public will determine the winners—and the awards will be presented to them only in November, after the official closing of the Biennale.
Italian Culture Minister: Putin Won the Biennale
In an interview with the newspaper Corriere della Sera, the Italian Minister of Culture stated that “Putin won” at this year’s Biennale.
Not all of the country’s politicians agree with this position: Italy’s far-right Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, during a visit to Venice on the eve of the Biennale’s opening, visited the Russian pavilion and supported the Biennale’s director, far-right publicist Pietrangelo Buttafuoco, who complained of “intolerance.”
Pussy Riot: Political prisoners are supposed to represent Russia at the Biennale
The day before in Venice, members of Pussy Riot and the Ukrainian movement Femen held a protest near the Russian pavilion, which is participating in this world’s largest international exhibition of contemporary art for the first time since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. They demanded that Russia be represented at the Venice Biennale by political prisoners with pro-Ukrainian views.
The organizers decided to open the Russian pavilion only from May 6 to 8 for invited guests, during which time it hosted the continuous sound performance “Tree Rooted in the Sky.” On May 9, when the Biennale opened to the general public, the pavilion was closed.
The organizers’ decision to allow Russia to participate in the Biennale has faced sharp criticism from the European Union and Ukraine. The European Commission believes it violates EU sanctions legislation.
The Russian pavilion at the Biennale is managed by Smart Art, a company founded by Katerina Vinokurova and Anastasia Karneeva. Karneeva is the daughter of a retired general and deputy director of the state defense conglomerate “Rostec.” Vinokurova is the daughter of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
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