The Venice Biennale jury has excluded Russia from the list of award nominees: what we know
24 April 11:17
The jury of the 2026 Venice Biennale has excluded Russia and Israel from competing for the Venice Biennale’s top prizes—the Golden and Silver Lions—citing the fact that the leaders of these countries are accused by the International Criminal Court of crimes against humanity, reports Adnkronos, as cited by "Komersant Ukrainian".
“No awards will be given to countries accused of crimes against humanity that are represented at the 2026 Art Biennale. Therefore, Russia and Israel are also excluded from the competition for the Golden and Silver Lions,” the statement reads.
This decision was made by the jury of the 61st International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale.
As noted, countries whose leaders are currently accused by the International Criminal Court of crimes against humanity will be excluded from consideration for the main prizes, which will be awarded on May 9.
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The text of the decision states that the jury acknowledges “the responsibility for the Biennale’s historical role as a platform that connects art with the pressing issues of our time.”
The Biennale jury does not interfere in the matter of the presence of national pavilions but limits its activities to the selection of major awards, in particular the “Golden Lion.”
It should be noted that the European Commission informed the Venice Biennale of its intention to terminate a €2 million contract due to the decision to allow Russians to participate, said Thomas Rignée, the European Commission’s spokesperson for defense, space, and disinformation, at a briefing in Brussels on Thursday.
Ukraine is urging Italy, as the host country, not to issue visas to Russian participants in the 2026 Venice Biennale, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga stated during a meeting with journalists.
Earlier in March, the European Commission strongly condemned the Venice Biennale Foundation’s intention to allow Russia to reopen its national pavilion at the 61st International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale in 2026 and stated that if this decision is implemented, it may consider further steps, including the cancellation of the current EU grant to the Foundation.
In total, more than 20 European countries have called for Russia to be barred from participating in the Venice Biennale
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