Venice Biennale to open; Italian media: Russian Pavilion remains closed due to sanctions
The 61st Venice International Art Biennale is set to open on May 9th, with controversy brewing over the planned reopening of the Russian Pavilion. The international jury resigned in protest, and Italian media has now revealed an Italian Ministry of Culture report confirming the Russian Pavilion will not be open to the public this year, in adherence to sanctions.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 4, 2026 at 08:05
- 🔍 Collected: May 4, 2026 at 08:31 (26 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 4, 2026 at 08:43 (12 min after Collected)
Central News Agency
(Central News Agency reporter Huang Ya-shi, Rome, 3rd) The Venice International Art Biennale is set to open on May 9th. The recent collective resignation of the jury is believed to be a protest against the proposed reopening of the Russian Pavilion. Italian media today disclosed a report from the Italian Ministry of Culture, stating that the Russian Pavilion will not be open to the public this year, in compliance with sanctions.
The 61st Venice International Art Biennale opens on May 9th. Many countries have permanent "National Pavilions" participating in Venice, but Russia's participation has been boycotted since its war against Ukraine. This year, news that the organizers intended to allow Russia to resume its national pavilion exhibition sparked controversy, leading to the collective resignation of the Biennale's international jury on April 30th.
Italian Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli previously dispatched investigators to Venice to understand the controversy surrounding Russia's proposed re-entry into the Venice Art Biennale. The Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera today exclusively published the Ministry of Culture's 7-page investigation report.
The report points out that the core of the discussion was that the proposed opening of the Russian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale led the European Union to initiate procedures for revoking funding for the Venice Biennale, believing this act involved a violation of EU sanctions against Russia.
In response, the Venice Biennale organizers had explained that, given that matters concerning Russia's participation were being reviewed under the existing regulatory framework, the Russian Pavilion would not be included in the Biennale's latest published catalog.
Investigation documents disclosed by Italian media show that the Italian Ministry of Culture asked the Venice Biennale organizers whether Russia had been "formally invited" to participate or if any participation documents had been signed; the Biennale organizers responded that they had not formally invited Russia to participate nor signed any documents.
The report quotes a lawyer for the Venice Biennale as stating that the Venice Art and Architecture Biennale is often mistakenly thought to adopt the "Expo model," but its approach is actually different; the Biennale does not encourage countries to participate, and whether to participate is up to each country's own decision.
The Venice Biennale "Russian Pavilion" was built by Russian Tsar Nicholas II, and its most recent renovation was in 2019.
The document shows that the Venice Biennale organizers responded to the Ministry of Culture, stating that, in accordance with EU sanctions against Russia, the Russian Pavilion cannot be open to the public during the official exhibition period; however, organizing private exhibition activities during the "preview" period from May 5th to 8th, before the Biennale's official opening, is not considered public exhibition.
The Italian Ministry of Culture document also mentioned that the collective resignation of the Biennale jury was due to a desire to avoid awarding prizes to certain countries whose leaders have been accused of "crimes against humanity" by the International Criminal Court, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (Edited by Chang Chih-hsuan) 1150504
Choose to stand with facts, every sponsorship is the power to protect press freedom.
Download the Central News Agency "First-hand News" APP to stay updated with the latest news.
The text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and used without authorization.
(Central News Agency reporter Huang Ya-shi, Rome, 3rd) The Venice International Art Biennale is set to open on May 9th. The recent collective resignation of the jury is believed to be a protest against the proposed reopening of the Russian Pavilion. Italian media today disclosed a report from the Italian Ministry of Culture, stating that the Russian Pavilion will not be open to the public this year, in compliance with sanctions.
The 61st Venice International Art Biennale opens on May 9th. Many countries have permanent "National Pavilions" participating in Venice, but Russia's participation has been boycotted since its war against Ukraine. This year, news that the organizers intended to allow Russia to resume its national pavilion exhibition sparked controversy, leading to the collective resignation of the Biennale's international jury on April 30th.
Italian Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli previously dispatched investigators to Venice to understand the controversy surrounding Russia's proposed re-entry into the Venice Art Biennale. The Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera today exclusively published the Ministry of Culture's 7-page investigation report.
The report points out that the core of the discussion was that the proposed opening of the Russian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale led the European Union to initiate procedures for revoking funding for the Venice Biennale, believing this act involved a violation of EU sanctions against Russia.
In response, the Venice Biennale organizers had explained that, given that matters concerning Russia's participation were being reviewed under the existing regulatory framework, the Russian Pavilion would not be included in the Biennale's latest published catalog.
Investigation documents disclosed by Italian media show that the Italian Ministry of Culture asked the Venice Biennale organizers whether Russia had been "formally invited" to participate or if any participation documents had been signed; the Biennale organizers responded that they had not formally invited Russia to participate nor signed any documents.
The report quotes a lawyer for the Venice Biennale as stating that the Venice Art and Architecture Biennale is often mistakenly thought to adopt the "Expo model," but its approach is actually different; the Biennale does not encourage countries to participate, and whether to participate is up to each country's own decision.
The Venice Biennale "Russian Pavilion" was built by Russian Tsar Nicholas II, and its most recent renovation was in 2019.
The document shows that the Venice Biennale organizers responded to the Ministry of Culture, stating that, in accordance with EU sanctions against Russia, the Russian Pavilion cannot be open to the public during the official exhibition period; however, organizing private exhibition activities during the "preview" period from May 5th to 8th, before the Biennale's official opening, is not considered public exhibition.
The Italian Ministry of Culture document also mentioned that the collective resignation of the Biennale jury was due to a desire to avoid awarding prizes to certain countries whose leaders have been accused of "crimes against humanity" by the International Criminal Court, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (Edited by Chang Chih-hsuan) 1150504
Choose to stand with facts, every sponsorship is the power to protect press freedom.
Download the Central News Agency "First-hand News" APP to stay updated with the latest news.
The text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and used without authorization.