Venice Biennale 2025 rocked by jury resignation and political protests
The 2025 Venice Biennale has opened with 100 national pavilions and 111 artists under the theme In Minor Keys. Running until 22 November, the event includes 31 collateral exhibitions. However, controversy has overshadowed the festival after the entire jury resigned in protest.
The boycott targeted Israel and Russia, both accused of crimes against humanity. This led to the postponement of the Golden Lion awards and the creation of a new Visitors’ Lions prize instead. The international jury announced it would not judge pavilions from countries involved in alleged human rights violations. Their decision sparked immediate backlash from the Biennale Foundation and the Italian government, which insisted on maintaining institutional neutrality.
Among the participating nations, Israel’s exhibition, Rose of Nothingness, is curated by Michael Gov with Avital Bar-Shay and Sorin Heller. It features work by artist Belu-Simion Fainaru. Russia’s pavilion, The Tree Is Rooted in the Sky, is curated by Anastasiia Karneeva and includes around 40 artists.
Portugal’s entry, RedSkyFalls by Alexandre Estrela, has also drawn attention. Estrela publicly criticised the inclusion of Russia and Israel, calling for their exclusion. Meanwhile, Brazil and East Timor represent the Lusophone world at this year’s Biennale.
With the jury’s resignation, the traditional Golden Lion awards were delayed. Organisers introduced the Visitors’ Lions as an alternative, allowing public input to shape the prizes. The Biennale continues despite the upheaval, with exhibitions running for six months. The absence of jury awards marks a significant change in the event’s history. Visitors will now play a larger role in recognising artistic contributions through the new public voting system.
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