Buttafuoco's Biennale Opening Speech Sparks Controversy Over Censorship and Anti-Western Bias

President Buttafuoco opened the Biennale with a passionate defense of institutional autonomy, asserting the Biennale's role as a non-judgmental platform for dialogue and confrontation, and rejecting ethical and regulatory statutes that exclude non-conformists. However, critics argue he omitted mention of the jury that resigned due to censorship under curator Koyo Kouoh, who is accused of anti-Western bias. Buttafuoco opened the Giardini to a Dakar-inspired anti-modernism, which critics see as a cover for hostility toward the West. The article highlights protests against Israel's presence at Venice, with workers joining a strike, and claims the public debate focused on Russia's harmless presence while ignoring the real target: Israel. The author accuses Buttafuoco of promoting an aggressive anti-Western agenda through an aesthetic of 'straccionismo' (shabbiness) offensive to Venice, a symbol of Western beauty.