52 Artists at Venice Biennale Reject Golden Lion Award in Political Protest
Almost 50% of the participants in the main exhibition of the Venice Biennale have opted out of vying for the Golden Lion awards, exacerbating the ongoing crisis for the 2024 event. This boycott, revealed through e-flux, includes 52 artists from the "In Minor Keys" exhibition, curated by Koyo Kouoh, such as Alfredo Jaar and Otobong Nkanga, standing in support of the jury's resignation. With no official jury in place, the Golden Lion ceremony has been scrapped and will instead feature "Visitor Lions" awarded based on public votes in November. The turmoil began following the jury's announcement to exclude representatives from nations accused of crimes against humanity, specifically targeting Israel and Russia. Biennale president Pietrangelo Buttafuoco condemned any form of exclusion or censorship.
Key facts
- 52 artists from the main exhibition rejected the Golden Lion award.
- The decision was announced via e-flux in solidarity with the resigned jury.
- Signatories include Alfredo Jaar, Otobong Nkanga, Walid Raad, and Tuan Andrew Nguyen.
- The Golden Lion ceremony was canceled; 'Visitor Lions' will be decided by public vote in November.
- Artists from 16 national pavilions joined the protest, including Yto Barrada, Egle Budvytyte, and Dries Verhoeven.
- The original jury resigned after stating they would not consider countries accused of crimes against humanity (Israel and Russia).
- Belu-Simion Fainaru, Israel's representative, accused the Biennale of discrimination and anti-Semitism.
- The Russian pavilion will close after press preview days; protests occurred at both Israeli and Russian pavilions.
Entities
Artists
- Alfredo Jaar
- Otobong Nkanga
- Walid Raad
- Tuan Andrew Nguyen
- Yto Barrada
- Egle Budvytyte
- Dries Verhoeven
- Belu-Simion Fainaru
Institutions
- Venice Biennale
- e-flux
- International Criminal Court
Locations
- Venice
- Italy
- France
- Lithuania
- Netherlands
- Israel
- Russia
- Ukraine
Sources
- Dasartes —