Russian Pavilion's Party, US Pavilion's Flop, and Israel's Dark Installation at 2026 Venice Biennale

The 61st Venice Biennale, titled 'In Minor Keys,' features controversial national pavilions. The Russian Pavilion hosted a party with electronic music, vodka, and floral creations, defended by Biennale president Pietrangelo Buttafuoco against criticism from Minister Giuli and the Meloni government. The US Pavilion, curated by Jeffrey Uslip and Jenni Parido, presents Alma Allen's 'Call Me The Breeze,' a sparse exhibition of wooden, bronze, and stone sculptures criticized by Hakim Bishara as saying nothing. The Israeli Pavilion features Belu-Simion Fainaru's 'Rose of Nothingness,' a dark installation with a black liquid pool and dripping irrigation tubes, referencing Paul Celan's poem and interpreted as a commentary on Israel's actions in Gaza. The Ukrainian Pavilion showcases Žanna Kadyrova's concrete origami deer, originally installed in Pokrovsk in 2019, which was transported over 3,000 km through European cities to Venice, curated by Ksenia Malykh and Leonid Marushchak, with support from Ukraine's Ministry of Culture and UNESCO.