Venice Biennale 2026: Politics, Protests, and the Prize Jury Resignation

The 61st Venice Biennale is embroiled in political controversy. The entire prize jury resigned in protest over the inclusion of countries facing International Criminal Court charges, specifically Israel. As a result, the Golden Lions for best artist and best pavilion will not be awarded; instead, Visitor Lions (people's choice awards) have been instituted. Fifty-two artists have withdrawn their work from consideration for these new awards. The Israel and Russia Pavilions remain eligible. Israel's artist Belu-Simion Fainaru, whose work 'Rose of Nothingness' explores life and death through a 'black milk' water installation, faces backlash. Fainaru argues he is being discriminated against on racial grounds and should be judged on his art alone. The biennale opens on 9 May. Historically, the 1964 Biennale saw Robert Rauschenberg's prize-winning work 'Express' embroiled in Cold War politics after being moved to the US pavilion sponsored by the US Information Agency. Australia's 2026 representative Khaled Sabsabi, whose work was previously scrutinized politically, expressed that art can be a platform for civil conversation. The biennale's structure, rooted in 19th-century world fairs and national representation, makes it inherently political.