All-female jury for 2026 Venice Biennale resigns after Israel pavilion dispute

The 61st Venice Biennale in 2026 has been marked by controversy after its all-female jury, appointed by main exhibition curator Koyo Kouoh and led by Brazilian Solange Farkas, resigned weeks after announcing that pavilions of Israel and Russia would be excluded from awards due to International Criminal Court accusations of crimes against humanity against their leaders. The jury included Zoe Butt (Australia), Elvira Dyangani Ose (Spain), Marta Kuzma (USA), and Giovanna Zapperi (Italy). The decision followed pressure from the Biennale presidency to keep Israel in the competition, which led to the creation of a parallel visitor-voted prize. In response, a majority of the 110 artists selected by Kouoh requested to be excluded from that prize, with no answer as of early June. The controversy escalated after artist Khaled Sabsabi, chosen to represent Australia, was initially disinvited by the government over a 2007 video containing a blurred image of a former Hezbollah leader, but was later reinstated after public outcry and an independent review. Kouoh then invited Sabsabi to participate in her curated exhibition "Em tons menores." The jury's stance marks a rare institutional refusal to legitimize alleged genocidal actors, drawing parallels to Nan Goldin's campaign against the Sackler family and curator Bonaventure Soh Ndikung's refusal to host a debate with a descendant of King Leopold II of Belgium at the 36th São Paulo Biennial.