Videobrasil founder Solange Farkas to preside over 61st Venice Biennale jury

Solange Farkas, founder and artistic director of Videobrasil, will preside over the jury of the 61st International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale, opening May 9. Appointed by Cameroonian curator Koyo Kouoh, who is curating the main exhibition In Minor Keys, Farkas has dedicated over four decades to preserving and promoting art from the Global South. She joins jurors Elvira Dyangani Ose, Giovanna Zapperi, Marta Kuzma, and Zoe Butt. The all-female jury announced it will not consider countries whose leaders are currently accused of crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court, effectively excluding Israel and Russia from top awards. The statement said: 'We have the responsibility to fulfill the historical role of the Biennale as a platform that connects art to the urgencies of its time.' The Golden and Silver Lion awards ceremony will take place in Venice on the evening of May 9, coinciding with the Biennale's opening.