{"componentChunkName":"component---src-templates-article-js","path":"/81-artists-withdraw-from-venice-biennale-competition/","result":{"data":{"wordpressPost":{"id":120135,"slug":"81-artists-withdraw-from-venice-biennale-competition","title":"81 artists withdraw from Venice Biennale competition","excerpt":"The signees have withdrawn ‘in solidarity with the resignation of the jury selected by Koyo Kouoh’","content":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"https://backend.artreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/AVZ-Sohrab-Hura-5823-1230x820.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-120039\" srcset=\"https://backend.artreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/AVZ-Sohrab-Hura-5823-1230x820.jpg 1230w, https://backend.artreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/AVZ-Sohrab-Hura-5823-600x400.jpg 600w, https://backend.artreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/AVZ-Sohrab-Hura-5823-300x200.jpg 300w, https://backend.artreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/AVZ-Sohrab-Hura-5823-768x512.jpg 768w, https://backend.artreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/AVZ-Sohrab-Hura-5823-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://backend.artreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/AVZ-Sohrab-Hura-5823-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1230px) 100vw, 1230px\" /><figcaption><em>In Minor Keys</em>, 61st Venice Biennale, 2026, installation view featuring Sohrab Hura, one of the artists who has withdrawn from prize consideration. Photo: Andrea Avezzù. Courtesy La Biennale di Venezia</figcaption></figure>\n\n\n\n<p>81 artists have withdrawn their work from consideration for the ‘Visitor Lion’ prizes at the <a href=\"https://artreview.com/category/venice-biennale-2026/\">61st Venice Biennale</a>, which opens to the public today.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>Artists in the central exhibition, as well as artists, curators and exhibition staff representing 16 national pavilions – from France and Spain to Cyprus and Ecuador – have withdrawn ‘in solidarity with the resignation of the jury selected by Koyo Kouoh’, they said in a <a href=\"https://www.e-flux.com/notes/6783494/statement-of-withdrawal-from-visitor-lion-awards\">statement</a> published on <em>e-flux</em>. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>The international jury, which traditionally selects a Golden and Silver Lion, one each for the best National Pavilion and best artist in the Central Pavilion, collectively <a href=\"https://artreview.com/venice-biennale-2026-international-jury-resigns/\">resigned</a> on 30 April. The Biennale organisers subsequently announced a new ‘Visitor Lion’ award system, subject to a public vote of ‘ticket holders who have visited both exhibition venues during the opening period’. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>The 61st edition, titled <em><a href=\"https://artreview.com/the-2026-venice-biennale-is-quintessential-biennial-art/\">In Minor Keys</a></em> and curated by the <a href=\"https://artreview.com/how-will-we-critique-the-2026-venice-biennale-martin-herbert/\">late Koyo Kouoh</a>, has been met with <a href=\"https://artreview.com/venice-biennale-opening-marked-by-protests/\">protests</a> throughout its preview week over the inclusion of <a href=\"https://artreview.com/italian-culture-minister-will-not-attend-opening-of-venice-biennale/\">Russia</a> and <a href=\"https://artreview.com/israeli-pavilion-artist-issued-legal-warnings-before-biennale-jury-resignation/\">Israel</a>. </p>\n\n\n\n<p>The full list of withdrawing artists in the Central Pavilion includes: </p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pio Abad<br>Fabric Aragno<br>arms ache avid aeon<br>Sammy Baloji<br>Éric Baudelaire<br>Sabian Baumann<br>Nancy Brooks Brody Estate<br>BuBu de la madeleine<br>Carolina Caycedo<br>Annalee Davis<br>Bonnie Devine<br>Nolan Oswald Dennis<br>rana elnemr<br>Joy Episalla<br>Rachel Fallon<br>Sofía Gallisá Muriente<br>Joana Hadjithomas &amp; Khalil Joreige<br>Sohrab Hura<br>Mohammed Joha<br>fierce pussy<br>Alfredo Jaar<br>Michael Joo<br>Nina Katchadourian<br>Guadalupe Maravilla<br>Natalia Lassalle Morillo<br>Florence Lazar<br>Zoe Leonard<br>Alice Maher<br>Sally Mizrachi<br>Avi Mograbi &amp; Avital Barak<br>Tuan Andrew Nguyen<br>Otobong Nkanga<br>Hagar Ophir<br>Uriel Orlow<br>Alan Phelan<br>Walid Raad<br>Mohammed Z. Rahman<br>Tabita Rezaire<br>Guadalupe Rosales<br>Yo-E Ryou<br>Rose Salane<br>Carrie Schneider<br>Hala Schoukair<br>Berni Searle<br>Yoshiko Shimada<br>Himali Singh Soin and David Soin Tappeser<br>Cauleen Smith<br>Vera Tamari<br>Jo-ey Tang<br>Carrie Yamaoka<br>Raed Yassin<br>Thania Petersen</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The artists, curators and staff withdrawing from consideration for national pavilions includes:</p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Belgium</strong><br>Miet Warlop, Artist; Caroline Dumalin, Curator &amp; Team<br><strong>Luxembourg</strong><br>Aline Bouvy &amp; Stilbé Schroeder<br><strong>France</strong><br>Yto Barrada<br><strong>Slovenia</strong><br>Nonument Group (Neja Tomšič, Martin Bricelj Baraga, Nika Grabar, Miloš Kosec);&nbsp;Nataša Petrešin-Bachelez, Curator<br><strong>Latvia</strong><br>MAREUNROL’S, Bruno Birmanis &amp; Team<br><strong>Lithuania</strong><br>Egle Budvytyte, Artist; Louise O’Kelly, Curator<br><strong>Switzerland</strong><br>Gianmaria Andreetta, Luca Beeler,&nbsp;Miriam Laura Leonardi, Lithic Alliance,&nbsp;Yul Tomatala, Nina Wakeford<br><strong>Spain</strong><br>Oriol Vilanova<br><strong>The Netherlands<br></strong>Dries Verhoeven, Artist; Rieke Vos, Curator<br><strong>Poland</strong><br>Bogna Burska &amp; Daniel Kotowski, Artists;&nbsp;Ewa Chomicka &amp; Jolanta Woszczenko, Curators<br><strong>Ecuador</strong><br>Boloh Miranda, Tatiana Lopez, Sani Montahuano, Mukutsawa Montahuano, Enoc Merino, Tawna Collective<br><strong>Ireland</strong><br>Isabel Nolan, Artist; Georgina Jackson, Curator; Cian O’Brien, Producer<br><strong>Kosovo</strong><br>Brilant Milazimi<br><strong>Finland</strong><br>Juha Huuskonen, Commissioner<br><strong>Czech Republic and Slovakia<br></strong>Jakub Jansa, Selmeci Kocka Jusko, Artists; Peter Sit, Curator<br><strong>Cyprus</strong><br>Marina Xenofontos</p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https://artreview.com/category/venice-biennale-2026/\">Follow our rolling coverage of the 61st Venice Biennale</a></p>\n","path":"/81-artists-withdraw-from-venice-biennale-competition/","format":"standard","date":"09 May 2026","rawDate":"2026-05-09T14:35:30.000Z","branch":{"name":"artreview.com"},"author":{"name":"ArtReview","path":"/author/artreview/"},"category":{"name":"News","path":"/category/news/"},"featured_media":{"source_url":"https://backend.artreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/AVZ-Sohrab-Hura-5823.jpg","caption":"","alt_text":"","media_details":{"width":2244,"height":1496,"sizes":{"thumbnail":{"source_url":"https://backend.artreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/AVZ-Sohrab-Hura-5823-300x200.jpg","width":300,"height":200},"medium":{"source_url":"https://backend.artreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/AVZ-Sohrab-Hura-5823-600x400.jpg","width":600,"height":400},"large":{"source_url":"https://backend.artreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/AVZ-Sohrab-Hura-5823-1230x820.jpg","width":1230,"height":820},"wordpress_1536x1536":{"source_url":"https://backend.artreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/AVZ-Sohrab-Hura-5823-1536x1024.jpg","width":1536,"height":1024},"wordpress_2048x2048":{"source_url":"https://backend.artreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/AVZ-Sohrab-Hura-5823-2048x1365.jpg","width":2048,"height":1365}}}},"acf":{"article_artist":null,"article_video":null,"article_audio":null,"article_collaboration":"","article_custom_html_snippet":"","article_featured_title":"","article_featured_description":"","article_highlight":false,"article_custom_link_url":"","hero_image":null,"seo_title":"81 Artists withdraw from Venice Biennale competition | ArtReview","seo_description":"The signees have withdrawn ‘in solidarity with the resignation of the jury selected by Koyo Kouoh’, it was announced today","article_related_articles":[{"id":120127,"title":"Kader Attia announced as curator of the 7th Kochi-Muziris Biennale","path":"/kader-attia-announced-as-curator-of-the-7th-kochi-muziris-biennale/","author":{"name":"ArtReview","path":"/author/artreviewartreview-com/"},"category":{"name":"News","path":"/category/news/"},"featured_media":{"source_url":"https://backend.artreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/unnamed.jpg","caption":"Portrait of Kader Attia, courtesy of the Kochi Biennale 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