Vatican withdraws from 2017 Venice Art Biennale after two editions

The Holy See will not participate in the 2017 Venice Art Biennale, ending a streak that began in 2013. The Pontifical Council for Culture announced the decision in a brief note. Monsignor Pasquale Iacobone, head of the Department for Art and Faith, explained that the Holy See prefers not to focus exclusively on a single event and instead aims to be present at multiple manifestations, such as Expo 2015. The Vatican lacks a permanent structure or ministry to support a fixed presence at the Biennale. The first Vatican pavilion in 2013, titled "Il Prologo" and inspired by a biblical Genesis story, featured artists Studio Azzurro, Josef Koudelka, and Lawrence Carroll, with a guest appearance by Tano Festa. The budget was around €750,000, covered by private funds. A second edition followed in 2015 with artists Monika Bravo, Elpida Hadzi-Vasileva, and Mário Macilau, curated by Micol Forti, director of the contemporary art collection of the Vatican Museums. Rumors suggest the planned 2017 pavilion involved a street art project that failed to convince the Council. Vaticanist Alessandro Notarnicola also cited cost concerns amid Pope Francis's spending review. However, the Holy See is considering participation in the 2018 Architecture Biennale, pending approval.