Russia Returns to Venice Biennale Amid Controversy Over Ukrainian Pavilion's Evacuated Sculpture
Russia has officially returned to the Venice Biennale with a national pavilion for the first time since its invasion of Ukraine. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian pavilion features a significant work by artist Zhanna Kadyrova. In 2019, Kadyrova installed a concrete sculpture depicting a paper-folded deer in Pokrovsk, Donetsk region, replacing a Soviet-era monument of a Su-7 jet. As Russian forces advanced, the artist decided to dismantle and evacuate the artwork. Curator Ksenia Malych explains that displaying the sculpture in the EU celebrates its successful rescue from conflict zones.
Key facts
- Russia officially participates in the 61st Venice Biennale with a national pavilion for the first time since the Ukraine invasion
- Ukrainian artist Zhanna Kadyrova created a concrete sculpture of a paper-folded deer in Pokrovsk, Donetsk region in 2019
- The sculpture replaced a Soviet-era monument of a Su-7 jet fighter
- Kadyrova evacuated the artwork as Russian military forces approached the area
- Ukrainian pavilion curator Ksenia Malych states displaying the sculpture in the EU celebrates its successful rescue
Entities
Artists
Institutions
- Venice Biennale
- Ukrainian Pavilion
Locations
- Venice
- Pokrovsk
- Donetsk region
- Ukraine
- Russia
- EU