Italy's Culture Minister Calls For Resignation Over Russia Pavilion

(MENAFN- USA Art News) Italy's Culture Minister Calls for Venice Biennale Board Member to Resign Amid Russia Pavilion Dispute

Italy's culture minister Alessandro Giuli has called for the resignation of Tamara Gregoretti, the government's representative on the board of La Biennale di Venezia, as controversy intensifies over Russia's plan to reopen its national pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale.

In a statement issued this week, Giuli said he had lost confidence in Gregoretti, who has served on the Biennale's board since March 2024. The minister accused her of failing to alert the culture ministry to the possibility that Russia would participate in the next edition. According to the ministry, Gregoretti“did not deem it necessary to announce the possible presence of the Russian Federation at the next Biennale,” despite what it described as the international sensitivity surrounding the matter.

The dispute follows last week's announcement that Russia intends to reopen its pavilion for the first time since 2019. The planned presentation, titled“The Tree Is Rooted in the Sky,” is being organized by curator Anastasia Karneeva and is expected to include more than 30 artists.

La Biennale di Venezia defended its position when it released its list of participating artists, arguing that the institution rejects“any form of exclusion or censorship of culture and art.” The organization added that the exhibition should remain“a place of dialogue, openness, and artistic freedom,” even as geopolitical tensions continue.

The decision has prompted swift backlash across Europe. Earlier this week, 22 European culture ministers signed a letter to Biennale president Pietrangelo Buttafuoco urging him to reconsider Russia's participation. The ministers warned that allowing the country a prominent cultural platform risks projecting an image of normalcy while the war in Ukraine continues.

European Union officials have also entered the debate. In a joint statement, EU technology commissioner Henna Virkkunen and culture commissioner Glenn Micallef warned that the Biennale's decision could jeopardize roughly €2 million in EU funding. They described the move as“not compatible with the EU's collective response to Russia's aggression against Ukraine.”

Pressure is also building within the cultural sector. An online petition titled“Stop the Normalisation of War Crimes Through Art” has gathered more than 8,000 signatures, calling on artists and cultural workers to oppose the pavilion's return.

Italian media outlets report that Gregoretti has so far shown no intention of stepping down. Meanwhile, the culture ministry has requested urgent clarification from the Biennale about how the Russian pavilion would be installed and managed, particularly in relation to the current sanctions regime.

With the 2026 Venice Biennale set to open in May, the dispute is shaping up as an early test of how one of the art world's most visible international platforms will navigate cultural diplomacy, institutional autonomy, and the practical constraints of sanctions in a still-volatile political landscape.

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