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A group of 22 European countries has written to the Venice Biennale Foundation to protest the decision to allow Russia to take part in the 61st International Art Exhibition in Italy, turning the issue into a wider political and cultural dispute across Europe.
The backlash followed Venice Biennale President Pietrangelo Buttafuoco’s March 5 announcement that Russia would be included in this year’s event. According to reports in the Italian media, the joint letter came from the foreign and culture ministers of 22 countries, including France, Germany, Spain, Romania, Poland, Norway and Ukraine.
In their letter, the ministers argued that the decision was unacceptable under current conditions because Russia’s occupation of Ukraine is still ongoing. They called on the Biennale Foundation to reverse the move that effectively opened the door for Russia to return.
The dispute quickly spread beyond the signatory states and drew in the Italian government as well. Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli reportedly told Buttafuoco through a video message that the government did not support the decision.
Pressure also came from the European Union, which had already spoken out against the move. European Commission Executive Vice President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy Henna Virkkunen and Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport Glenn Micallef said in a joint statement that they strongly condemned the decision to let Russia reopen its national pavilion at the Biennale, which is due to open on May 9.
In that statement, the Commission said the Biennale Foundation’s position did not fit with the EU’s collective response to the war. It also warned that if the decision went ahead, further measures could be considered, including the suspension or termination of ongoing EU grant support for the foundation.
Russia has been shut out of many international sporting and cultural events across Europe since the war in Ukraine began in February 2022. According to the text, Russia last took part in the Venice Biennale in 2019.
The controversy has also echoed another recent dispute in Italy, which this year is hosting the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in Milan and Cortina for the first time in 20 years. During the ongoing Paralympic Games, the presence of Russian and Belarusian representatives has also stirred criticism.
The International Paralympic Committee’s decision to let Russia and Belarus compete in the 2026 Milan-Cortina Paralympic Games under their national flags and anthems drew objections because the war is still continuing. Organizers of the Milan-Cortina Paralympics said that decision had not been theirs.
After that ruling, Ukraine and several other countries boycotted the March 6 opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games in Verona. Russian Paralympic athletes also appeared there under their own flag, adding to tensions that are now feeding into the Venice Biennale dispute.
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