Venice Biennale denies helping Russia circumvent sanctions with pavilion

The Venice Biennale has denied allegations that it helped Russia circumvent EU sanctions by allowing the Russian pavilion to operate during preview days. Italian investigative website Open published emails between the Biennale's president's office and Russian pavilion organizers suggesting that the pavilion would only be accessible during preview days for arts professionals and press, with performances broadcast on a loop afterward. Commissioner Anastasia Karneeva requested visa assistance for about fifty artists and staff. Karneeva is the daughter of Nikolai Volobuev, deputy CEO of Rostec, Russia's largest state-owned defense company, and runs an art consultancy with Ekaterina Vinokurova, daughter of Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The Biennale responded via Il Giornale that it acted in strict compliance with laws and did not circumvent sanctions. Russia has been absent from the Biennale since 2022 but has a permanent pavilion in the Giardini. The proposed exhibition is titled The Tree is Rooted in the Sky, featuring 38 participants from Russia, Argentina, Brazil, Mali, and Mexico. The EU recently cut its €2 million grant to the Biennale over Russia's return, with the Biennale having 30 days to respond.