European Nations Condemn Russia’s Return to 2026 Venice Art Festival

Twenty-two European countries and the European Commission are protesting Russia's planned participation in the prestigious 2026 Venice Biennale art exhibition. The controversy has put Italy's Culture Ministry under pressure as critics say Russia's involvement could legitimize the country despite its ongoing war in Ukraine.

ROME (AP) — Strong opposition has emerged from across Europe after organizers announced Russia would return to participate in the prestigious 2026 Venice Biennale contemporary art exhibition. The European Commission has threatened to cut funding while 22 European nations are calling for Moscow to be excluded once again due to its ongoing military conflict in Ukraine.

The controversy surrounding the world’s most significant and longest-running contemporary art exhibition has placed Italy’s Culture Ministry under intense scrutiny. This diplomatic crisis follows shortly after Italy watched the International Paralympic Committee permit Russian and Belarusian competitors to participate under their own national flags at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympics.

Italian Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli is working to address the international backlash, expressing strong disagreement with the Biennale’s choice while recognizing that the governing foundation operates independently from government control and made this decision on its own regarding the 61st arts festival.

Moscow maintains a permanent, traditional pavilion within the Giardini exhibition space, and according to the art fair’s regulations, enjoys a simplified approval process for participation. However, Russia has been absent since the Ukraine conflict started: The Russian pavilion closed in 2022 when its artists pulled out following Moscow’s invasion. During the 2024 festival, Bolivia used the Russian pavilion space for its own display.

On March 4, the Venice Biennale Foundation revealed the participant list for its 2026 festival, scheduled to run from May 9 through November 22. The exhibition will feature 99 countries, with seven making their debut appearance.

Moscow’s comeback to the festival received no special attention from Biennale organizers, appearing simply within the standard list of participating nations with a display called “The Tree is Rooted in the Sky,” featuring approximately three dozen Russian artists.

Following growing criticism, Giuli terminated ministry representative Tamara Gregoretti from the Biennale board this week, claiming she failed to inform the ministry about Russia’s planned participation and had endorsed their inclusion.

Giuli has also initiated an inquiry to assess whether Russia’s involvement complies with European Union sanctions. He specifically requested that the Biennale immediately supply all documents, including communications with Moscow, regarding Russia’s plans for establishing and operating the pavilion during the exhibition.

During a Friday phone conversation with his Ukrainian counterpart Tetyana Berezhna, Giuli “emphasized the Italian government’s dedication to safeguarding Ukraine’s cultural identity, which has faced threats for more than four years due to the Russian invasion, and confirmed his personal and governmental commitment to rebuilding Ukraine’s cultural heritage,” according to the ministry.

Berezhna told Giuli that Russia’s participation was “unacceptable for Kiev and conflicts with the strong Ukrainian support maintained by the Italian government,” Giuli’s office reported.

Biennale Foundation president Pietrangelo Buttafuoco has stood behind the decision, characterizing it as a stance against censorship.

He revealed that this year’s festival will include two special exhibition areas dedicated to “dissident” artwork. He also referenced last year’s Venice Film Festival, which hosted the world debut of “The Wizard of the Kremlin,” a critical film starring Jude Law about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s ascent to power.

However, 22 European nations sent Buttafuoco a letter voicing their “deep concern” about Russia’s participation. They cautioned that Moscow might use this opportunity to “present an image of legitimacy and international acceptance that sharply contrasts with the reality of Russia’s continuing war against Ukraine and the devastation of Ukrainian cultural heritage, as well as European and international sanctions.”

The European Commission has criticized the Biennale’s decision and warned of withdrawing EU funding for the fair, which totals approximately 2 million euros across three years.

“If the Biennale Foundation moves forward with its decision to permit Russia’s participation, we will explore additional actions, including suspending or ending current EU funding to the Biennale Foundation,” stated Commissioners Henna Virkkunen and Glenn Micallef.