Days before the Venice Biennale was due to open its doors, its entire international jury quietly walked away.
The resignation came after days of mounting pressure surrounding the inclusion of Russia and Israel in the 61st International Art Exhibition, In Minor Keys, due to open on May 9.
In a statement published in art magazine e-flux, the five-member jury, led by Brazilian curator Solange Farkas, said it was stepping down “in acknowledgment” of its earlier decision not to award prizes to artists representing countries whose leaders are under investigation or wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
“As of April 30, 2026, we, the international jury selected by Koyo Kouoh, Artistic Director of the 61st edition of La Biennale di Venezia “In Minor Keys,” have resigned. We do so in acknowledgment of our Statement of Intention issued on April 22, 2026,” the statement said.
The jury avoided naming names but the reference was widely taken to mean both Russia and Israel.
The ICC has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant over war crimes linked to the war in Gaza. Russian President Vladimir Putin is wanted over war crimes in Ukraine.
The jury’s resignation comes after weeks of increasingly public tension over Russia’s planned return to the Venice Biennale, its first appearance since the invasion of Ukraine.
In April, the European Commission reportedly warned the Biennale it could halt European Union subsidies for the event if Russia participated.
A cultural controversy in Italy over Russia’s return to the Venice Biennale, an international cultural exhibition, has sparked a political clash between European institutions and the exhibition’s leadership. https://t.co/WD1fqlVEzm
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) March 17, 2026
