Venice Biennale Opens in Disarray as Jury Resigns, Iran Withdraws, Golden Lion Scrapped

The Venice Biennale, which commenced on Saturday, found itself engulfed in chaos. Disagreements over the eligibility of Israel and Russia led to the resignation of the entire jury. Just days prior to the event, Iran pulled out of its pavilion. The US pavilion stands vacant as no proposals were submitted in response to the administration's request for works that would "reflect and promote American values." A protest by Pussy Riot at the Russian pavilion resulted in its temporary closure. Artist Anish Kapoor advocated for the exclusion of the US from the Biennale. In a notable change, the Golden Lion award was replaced with a people's choice vote. This 130-year-old event is grappling with significant issues involving its jury, major awards, and several national pavilions, highlighting deep divisions over fundamental principles. In related news, a federal judge deemed DOGE's cancellation of $100 million in NEH grants unconstitutional, following the termination of 97% of grants and the dismissal of 22 out of 26 advisory board members. Additionally, five publishers and author Scott Turow have filed a lawsuit against Meta and Mark Zuckerberg regarding Llama's use of pirated books for training. The Academy of Motion Pictures has declared that AI-generated actors and scripts will not be eligible for Oscars.