Russia’s inclusion in the 2026 Venice Biennale will spark outrage

Rome — Russia’s inclusion in the line-up for the 2026 Venice Biennale art fair has sparked international outrage, with the European Commission threatening to withhold funding and 22 European nations demanding Moscow distance itself again over its war in Ukraine.

A scandal at the world’s oldest and most important contemporary art fair has rocked Italy’s culture ministry. It comes just weeks after the Italian government had to stand down as the International Paralympic Committee allowed Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under their national flags at the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympics.

Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli has been trying to manage the diplomatic fallout, expressing clear opposition to the biennale’s decision but acknowledging that its administrative foundation is independent of the government and acted autonomously when Russia was included in the lineup for its 61st art festival.

Russia has a permanent, historic pavilion in the Giardini exhibition area and, under the rules governing the art fair, has a streamlined process for admission to the exhibition. But Moscow has not appeared since the start of the Ukraine war: in 2022, the Russian pavilion was closed after its artists withdrew following the invasion of Moscow. In the 2024 edition, the pavilion was loaned to Bolivia for its exhibition.

On March 4 the Venice Biennale Foundation announced the line-up for its 2026 edition, which runs May 9-Nov. 22. Ninety-nine countries are participating, including seven for the first time.

The biennale did not highlight Russia’s return to the fair, but with an exhibition titled “The Tree is Rooted in the Sky” on the list of participating countries and about three dozen Russian artists.

As the outcry grew, Giuli this week fired Tamara Gregoretti, a ministry official who sits on the biennale’s board, accusing her of failing to disclose to the ministry that Russia had indicated it would participate and that she supported its inclusion.

Giuli launched an investigation to determine whether Russia’s participation was compatible with the EU sanctions regime. In particular, they demanded that the Biennale urgently provide all documentation, including correspondence with Moscow, about Russia’s plan to set up and operate a pavilion during the fair.

He spoke by phone with his Ukrainian counterpart Tetyana Berezhna on Friday and said he “reaffirmed the Italian government’s commitment to protecting the cultural identity of Ukraine, which has been under threat for four years due to the Russian aggression, and reaffirmed his personal commitment to the reconstruction of the cultural heritage of the Ministry of Ukraine.”

Berezna, for his part, told Giuli that Russia’s participation was “unacceptable to Kiev and contrasts with the strong support for Ukraine maintained by the Italian government.”

The head of the Biennale Foundation, Pietrangolo Buttafuoco, defended the decision and framed it as an act against censorship.

He announced that this year’s edition will be accompanied by two dedicated exhibition spaces for “dissident” art. And he recalled that last year’s Venice Film Festival included the world premiere of “The Wizard of the Kremlin,” an unflattering portrait starring Jude Law about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s rise to power.

But 22 European countries have written to Buttafuoco expressing their “deep concern” about Russia’s involvement. “Moscow could use it to project an image of legitimacy and international acceptance that contradicts the reality of Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine and the destruction of Ukrainian cultural heritage,” he warned.

The European Commission, for its part, condemned the biennale’s decision and threatened to withhold EU funding for the fair, which amounts to around 2 million euros over three years.

“If the Biennale Foundation continues its decision to allow Russia to participate, we will consider further measures, including the suspension or termination of ongoing EU funding to the Biennale Foundation,” said a statement from commissioners Henna Virkunen and Glenn Micallef.