Protests Erupt at Venice Biennale as Jury Resigns

Protests and controversy have dominated the previews for the 2026 Venice Biennale. On May 6, the Art Not Genocide Alliance led hundreds of activists in blocking the entrance to the Israeli pavilion while displaying Palestinian flags. Nolan Oswald Dennis, a South African artist, expressed to Hyperallergic Editor-in-Chief Hakim Bishara that protesting is "an artist's duty." In a separate event, Pussy Riot and FEMEN conducted a demonstration filled with pink smoke against Russia's involvement, as reported by Avedis Hadjian. Following legal threats from Israeli pavilion artist Belu-Simion Fainaru concerning antisemitism and discrimination, the Biennale jury unexpectedly resigned, according to Hyperallergic staff reporter Rhea Nayyar. The newsletter also features 10 exhibitions in Upstate New York and obituaries for notable figures including Steven Durland, Georg Baselitz, Nicole Hollander, and Doris Fisher.