Venice Biennale Backs Decision To Allow Russia To Participate

(MENAFN- USA Art News) Venice Biennale Says Russia's Return Breaks No Rules, Despite EU Funding Warning

La Biennale di Venezia is refusing to retreat from a decision that has quickly become one of the most contentious flashpoints of this year's Venice Biennale: allowing Russia to take part again after a two-year absence.

In a statement released Tuesday, the Biennale's organizers said they have complied with all sanctions imposed on Moscow following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.“No regulations have been violated,” the organization said, adding that it has provided Italy's culture ministry with documentation supporting its position.

The insistence has not quieted criticism. The European Commission has warned that Russia's participation could place EU funding for the Biennale at risk, raising the stakes for an institution that operates within a dense web of public support and international partnerships. Italy's culture minister, Alessandro Giuli, has also urged organizers to reconsider and revoke the invitation.

The Biennale, however, has framed its stance as a matter of principle and procedure. In public remarks, it has rejected“any form of exclusion or censorship of culture and art,” describing the exhibition as“a place of dialogue, openness, and artistic freedom” even amid geopolitical strain. A Biennale representative previously told ARTnews that national participation is not determined by the institution itself:“As a general premise, La Biennale di Venezia does not decide on national participation; countries themselves choose whether to take part.”

Political support has also emerged within Italy. Matteo Salvini, the country's deputy premier and leader of the League party, defended the decision in a radio interview, arguing that culture should serve as a bridge rather than a battleground.“I believe art, music, and sport should unite cultures, not inflame conflicts,” Salvini said, adding that the Biennale was right to welcome participants, including dissident artists.

Salvini pointed to what he described as a broader pattern of cultural exclusion, noting that an invitation to Russian ballerina Svetlana Zakharova for a dance festival in Rome had recently been withdrawn.“It feels like we're seeing a kind of Russophobia,” he said. His intervention has drawn attention in part because Salvini previously expressed admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin before the 2022 invasion - a record that has faced renewed scrutiny as the war continues.

From the Russian side, Mikhail Shvydkoy, the country's delegate for international cultural exchanges and a former culture minister, told ARTnews that he expects the Russia pavilion to proceed.“Various sanctions may be devised, and official Western institutions may be prohibited from working with us, but no one can deprive Russia of the right to artistic self-expression,” he said. Shvydkoy added that he believes the Biennale's leadership is“ready to seek a compromise [to ensure the pavilion remains open], naturally without wishing to jeopardize the work of the entire Venice Biennale.”

Russia has not participated in the Biennale since 2022, and the prospect of a reopening has prompted widespread outrage. More than 8,500 people have signed an open letter calling on the Biennale's leadership to“address the implications” of Russia's participation.

The Russia debate is also unfolding alongside a separate, escalating controversy over Israel's presence at Venice. Earlier this week, the activist group Art Not Genocide Alliance published an open letter demanding that the Biennale block Israel from participating in this year's exhibition. Nearly 200 artists, curators, and arts workers associated with this edition have signed.

Among the signatories are curators Gabe Beckhurst Feijoo and Rasha Salti, members of the team charged with realizing the vision of the late curator Koyo Kouoh, who was announced as curator of the 2026 Venice Biennale and died last May. Dozens of artists included in the main exhibition,“In Minor Keys,” also signed the letter.

As the Biennale positions itself as a forum for artistic freedom, it now faces a familiar Venice dilemma: how to sustain the claim of openness while navigating the political realities that shape who gets to speak - and under what conditions - on one of contemporary art's most visible stages.

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