![\"\"](\"https://backend.artreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/18_Russian_Pavilion_OPEN_Marco_Cappelletti-1230x820.jpg\")
The Italian culture minister Alessandro Giuli has said in a statement from the Ministry of Culture that he will not attend the Venice Biennale opening next week, in protest of Russia’s involvement in the art exhibition.
\n\n\n\nRussia has been absent from the Venice Biennale since 2022, but on its own volition. It has a permanent exhibition space in the Giardini, so it is unclear how much power the Biennale Foundation has to deny it access to the building. Russia’s return to the upcoming edition has been met with widespread consternation.
\n\n\n\nIn March this year, 22 European ministers signed a letter expressing their concern over Russia’s return to the Biennale for the first time since its fullscale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The letter called Russia’s participation in the Biennale ‘unacceptable under the current circumstances’.
\n\n\n\nLast week, the European Union cut its €2 million (£1.74m) grant to the Venice Biennale following the return of Russia to the exhibition.
\n\n\n\nThe following day, the jurors for the Golden and Silver Lion awards said they will not consider the pavilions of any country whose leaders are currently charged with crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court – which effectively rules out Russia, where Vladimir Putin is charged with the unlawful deportation and transfer of Ukrainian children.
\n\n\n\nRead next The Politics of Russia’s Return to the Venice Biennale
\n","path":"/italian-culture-minister-will-not-attend-opening-of-venice-biennale/","format":"standard","date":"27 April 2026","rawDate":"2026-04-27T16:28:46.000Z","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/2026/04/18_Russian_Pavilion_OPEN_Marco_Cappelletti.jpg","caption":"Russian Pavilion, Venice. Photo: © Marco Cappelletti","alt_text":"","media_details":{"width":2000,"height":1333,"sizes":{"thumbnail":{"source_url":"https://backend.artreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/18_Russian_Pavilion_OPEN_Marco_Cappelletti-300x200.jpg","width":300,"height":200},"medium":{"source_url":"https://backend.artreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/18_Russian_Pavilion_OPEN_Marco_Cappelletti-600x400.jpg","width":600,"height":400},"large":{"source_url":"https://backend.artreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/18_Russian_Pavilion_OPEN_Marco_Cappelletti-1230x820.jpg","width":1230,"height":820},"wordpress_1536x1536":{"source_url":"https://backend.artreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/18_Russian_Pavilion_OPEN_Marco_Cappelletti-1536x1024.jpg","width":1536,"height":1024},"wordpress_2048x2048":null}}},"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":"News | Italian culture minister to snub Venice Biennale opening | ArtReview","seo_description":"The Italian culture minister Alessandro Giuli has said he will not attend the Venice Biennale opening next week, in protest of Russia’s involvement in the art exhibition","article_related_articles":[{"id":118847,"title":"Raghu Rai, pioneering Indian photographer, 1942–2026","path":"/raghu-rai-pioneering-indian-photographer-1942-2026/","author":{"name":"ArtReview","path":"/author/artreview/"},"category":{"name":"News","path":"/category/news/"},"featured_media":{"source_url":"https://backend.artreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-27-at-09.12.20.png","caption":"Raghu Rai. Photo: instagram.com/@raghurai_official","alt_text":"Photography of Raghu Rai standing cross armed in a garden","media_details":{"width":1616,"height":994,"sizes":{"thumbnail":{"source_url":"https://backend.artreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-27-at-09.12.20-300x185.png","width":300,"height":185},"medium":{"source_url":"https://backend.artreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-27-at-09.12.20-600x369.png","width":600,"height":369},"large":{"source_url":"https://backend.artreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-27-at-09.12.20-1230x757.png","width":1230,"height":757},"wordpress_1536x1536":{"source_url":"https://backend.artreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-27-at-09.12.20-1536x945.png","width":1536,"height":945},"wordpress_2048x2048":null}}},"acf":{"article_collaboration":""}},{"id":118822,"title":"Liu Ding and Carol Yinghua Lu to curate 2027 Istanbul Biennial","path":"/liu-ding-and-carol-yinghua-lu-to-curate-2027-istanbul-biennial/","author":{"name":"ArtReview","path":"/author/artreview/"},"category":{"name":"News","path":"/category/news/"},"featured_media":{"source_url":"https://backend.artreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Liu_Ding_Carol_Yinghua_Lu_Portrait.2026.png","caption":"","alt_text":"","media_details":{"width":1778,"height":2000,"sizes":{"thumbnail":{"source_url":"https://backend.artreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Liu_Ding_Carol_Yinghua_Lu_Portrait.2026-300x337.png","width":300,"height":337},"medium":{"source_url":"https://backend.artreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Liu_Ding_Carol_Yinghua_Lu_Portrait.2026-600x675.png","width":600,"height":675},"large":{"source_url":"https://backend.artreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Liu_Ding_Carol_Yinghua_Lu_Portrait.2026-1230x1384.png","width":1230,"height":1384},"wordpress_1536x1536":{"source_url":"https://backend.artreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Liu_Ding_Carol_Yinghua_Lu_Portrait.2026-1366x1536.png","width":1366,"height":1536},"wordpress_2048x2048":null}}},"acf":{"article_collaboration":""}},{"id":118791,"title":"Sharjah Biennial 2027 announces theme and artists","path":"/sharjah-biennial-announces-theme-and-artists/","author":{"name":"ArtReview","path":"/author/artreview/"},"category":{"name":"News","path":"/category/news/"},"featured_media":{"source_url":"https://backend.artreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/17_Artworks_Shady-Elnoshokaty.png","caption":"","alt_text":"","media_details":{"width":2000,"height":1316,"sizes":{"thumbnail":{"source_url":"https://backend.artreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/17_Artworks_Shady-Elnoshokaty-300x197.png","width":300,"height":197},"medium":{"source_url":"https://backend.artreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/17_Artworks_Shady-Elnoshokaty-600x395.png","width":600,"height":395},"large":{"source_url":"https://backend.artreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/17_Artworks_Shady-Elnoshokaty-1230x809.png","width":1230,"height":809},"wordpress_1536x1536":{"source_url":"https://backend.artreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/17_Artworks_Shady-Elnoshokaty-1536x1011.png","width":1536,"height":1011},"wordpress_2048x2048":null}}},"acf":{"article_collaboration":""}},{"id":118739,"title":"Julia Stoschek Foundation to close Berlin location","path":"/julia-stoschek-foundation-to-close-berlin-location/","author":{"name":"ArtReview","path":"/author/artreview/"},"category":{"name":"News","path":"/category/news/"},"featured_media":{"source_url":"https://backend.artreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/23_02_JSF_Doku_155_web.png","caption":"","alt_text":"The facade of the Julia Stoschek Foundation","media_details":{"width":2000,"height":1333,"sizes":{"thumbnail":{"source_url":"https://backend.artreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/23_02_JSF_Doku_155_web-300x200.png","width":300,"height":200},"medium":{"source_url":"https://backend.artreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/23_02_JSF_Doku_155_web-600x400.png","width":600,"height":400},"large":{"source_url":"https://backend.artreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/23_02_JSF_Doku_155_web-1230x820.png","width":1230,"height":820},"wordpress_1536x1536":{"source_url":"https://backend.artreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/23_02_JSF_Doku_155_web-1536x1024.png","width":1536,"height":1024},"wordpress_2048x2048":null}}},"acf":{"article_collaboration":""}},{"id":118709,"title":"Taiwan revokes Sakuliu Pavavaljung’s National Award for Arts","path":"/taiwan-revokes-sakuliu-pavavaljungs-national-award-for-arts/","author":{"name":"ArtReview","path":"/author/artreview/"},"category":{"name":"News","path":"/category/news/"},"featured_media":{"source_url":"https://backend.artreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/1-Pa7pZ43Gg-1-dkN_BvKkyA.jpeg","caption":"Sakuliu Pavavaljung","alt_text":"Sakuliu Pavavaljung, who is to represent Taiwan","media_details":{"width":1400,"height":934,"sizes":{"thumbnail":{"source_url":"https://backend.artreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/1-Pa7pZ43Gg-1-dkN_BvKkyA-300x200.jpeg","width":300,"height":200},"medium":{"source_url":"https://backend.artreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/1-Pa7pZ43Gg-1-dkN_BvKkyA-600x400.jpeg","width":600,"height":400},"large":{"source_url":"https://backend.artreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/1-Pa7pZ43Gg-1-dkN_BvKkyA-1230x821.jpeg","width":1230,"height":821},"wordpress_1536x1536":null,"wordpress_2048x2048":null}}},"acf":{"article_collaboration":""}}]}}},"pageContext":{"wordpress_id":118940,"categorySlugs":["news","venice-biennale-2026"]}},"staticQueryHashes":["1047144546","1199547381","1199547381","1200741782","1200741782","2238591713","3764592887","4156135988","753543242","753543242","919364628"]}