Russia's Venice Biennale Pavilion Closed to Public Amid Sanctions Row

Russia's group exhibition, titled “The tree is rooted in the sky,” will be part of the 2026 Venice Biennale, but it’s only accessible to press and industry insiders from May 5 to May 8. After that, it will be off-limits to the public until November 22. This comes after the Biennale decided to exclude countries accused of crimes against humanity, like Russia and Israel, from receiving awards. In response, Italian culture minister Alessandro Giuli opted to boycott the preview and opening. Moreover, the EU has pulled $2.3 million in funding for the 2028 Biennale due to violations of sanctions. Kaja Kallas, the EU's foreign policy chief, stated that Russia shouldn’t be allowed to showcase its work while it destroys Ukrainian culture. The Biennale Foundation claimed they are following all legal guidelines and expressed shock over what they called “distorted reports.”