Jury of the Venice Biennial resigns
01.05.2026, DPA
The international jury of the Venice Art Biennale resigned on Thursday, just days before the exhibition was due to open.
There has been controversy for months over Russia’s participation in the Biennale despite its war against Ukraine.
Furthermore, the jury came under fire last week for excluding Russia and Israel from the Biennale awards.
"As of 30 April 2026, we, the international jury selected by Koyo Kouoh, Artistic Director of the 61st edition of La Biennale di Venezia In Minor Keys, have resigned. We do so in acknowledgment of our Statement of Intention issued on 22 April 2026," the five jury members said in a joint statement.
It was signed by jury president, Solange Oliveira Farkas, an art historian from Brazil, as well as Zoe Butt, Elvira Dyangani Ose, Marta Kuzma and Giovanna Zapperi. The jury did not initially provide any further explanation.
The six-month exhibition will officially open next Saturday. Before this, the pavilions, designed by artists from various nations, will be open to the art world.
Venice Biennale visitors to decide on prize winners after jury spat
01.05.2026, DPA
Visitors to this year's Venice Art Biennale can now decide on the best pavilions themselves, with two new prizes created after a spat that saw the international jury walk out days before the exhibition opens.
La Biennale di Venezia has shifted its awards ceremony to November, allowing members of the public to award two Visitors’ Lions.
The six-month exhibition opens next Saturday, when visitors can explore pavilions designed by artists from different nations.
The Venice Biennale, one of the world’s oldest, largest and most prestigious international cultural shows, focuses on contemporary art and architecture.
Dubbed the "Olympics of the art world," the Biennale opens to the public for six months every year and alternates between art and architecture.
This year it is set to open on May 9 and to run through to November 22.
The Biennale also presents awards, with the most well-known the Golden Lion. These are among the highest honors in contemporary art, architecture, film, and theatre.
But after controversy over Russia’s participation in the show, the jury faced further criticism for excluding Russia and Israel from the Biennale awards.
The jury has now resigned. Initially due to announce a series of prizes at the inauguration on May 9, the ceremony has been cancelled.
Visitors may instead vote on their favourite pavilions.
If you are planning a trip to Venice, the Biennale is held in two venues, the Giardini and the Arsenale, in the eastern part of the lagoon city.
Visitors need a ticket to enter the Venice Biennale. A standard ticket costs €35, with discounts available for concessions.
That ticket makes you eligible to vote for winners of the Lion this year, say the Biennale organizers.
"Visitors eligible to vote for the Visitors’ Lions are ticket holders who have visited both exhibition venues during the opening period of the 61st Exhibition, from May 9 to November 22," say the organizers.
Each ticket holder may cast one vote for each of the two awards, in one single session.
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