As global attention focuses on the war in Iran and talks to end the war in Ukraine remain briefly stalled, Russia and the European Union (EU) are clashing head-on over participation in the Venice Biennale, the most prestigious event in the arts and culture world.
The Venice Biennale is the world's most prestigious contemporary art event, launched in 1895. In the art world, it is known as the "art Olympics." It features national pavilions, where artists representing each country gather in force, alongside a main exhibition curated by the artistic director without regard to nationality. Despite the pandemic's impact, more than 800,000 visitors flocked to the 2022 exhibition. One hundred countries will take part in this year's edition, opening on May 9.
Russia has confirmed it will return to the national pavilion this year for the first time in four years. It is effectively the country's first return to the international cultural stage since the start of the war. Right after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 drew international condemnation, its commissioner and artists resigned, and the pavilion was shut. Russia also skipped 2024.
Europe reacted strongly to the news of Russia's return. Kaja Kallas, the EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, said at a press conference after the EU foreign ministers' meeting in Luxembourg on the 21st (local time), "Russia bombed museums, destroyed churches, and tried to erase Ukrainian culture," adding, "It should not be allowed to exhibit its national culture." Kallas added, "Russia's return to the Venice Biennale is morally wrong, and the EU plans to cut funding."
In fact, the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) under the European Commission sent a letter detailing the funding cuts to Pietrangelo Buttafuoco, chair of the Biennale foundation. It warned that unless corrective measures are presented, €2 million in funding for the 62nd Biennale in 2028 (about 3.2 billion won for three years) would be suspended and recovered. The deadline is the 11th, two days after the opening. Thirty-seven members of the European Parliament also sent a joint letter to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Kallas calling for the suspension of EU funding for the Venice Biennale.
The Finnish government and Agnese Logina, Latvia's culture minister, expressed anger over Russia's participation and declared they would skip the May 9 opening ceremony. Euronews reported that Latvia led a joint statement excluding Russia and secured signatures from 25 countries.
Those opposing Russia's participation argue it is intolerable for Russia to pose as a cultural nation in Venice while systematically destroying Ukraine's cultural heritage. As of the 15th of this month, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) said 526 Ukrainian cultural heritage sites had been damaged by Russia's invasion. These include 153 religious sites, 275 buildings of historical or artistic value, 39 museums, 33 monuments, and 21 libraries. The AP reported that more than 2.1 million items from Ukrainian museums remain in Russian-occupied territories, and more than 35,000 looted artifacts have been confirmed in retaken areas.
The lineup running the Russian pavilion also fueled controversy. Each national pavilion is overseen by that country's commissioner. Anastasia Karneeva, appointed commissioner of the Russian pavilion in 2021, is the daughter of Nikolai Volobuyev, a vice president at Rostec, Russia's state defense conglomerate. Rostec is a state-owned defense holding company founded in 2007 by Russian President Vladimir Putin and has been under U.S. and EU sanctions since 2014. Karneeva's father, Volobuyev, a former general in the old KGB and the Federal Security Service (FSB), is also under sanctions by the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. Yekaterina Vinokurova, who co-founded the art consulting firm Smart Art with Karneeva, is the daughter of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
In other words, the defense and diplomatic network that led the invasion of Ukraine is the structure operating the Russian pavilion at the Venice Biennale. The Ukrainian government asked Italy to "sanction five people connected to the Russian pavilion, including Karneeva, and stop issuing visas." The point is that the Russian pavilion is seen not as a simple art exhibition space but as a vehicle to project national soft power.
The Biennale responded with the logic of "dialogue and openness." The organizers have repeatedly said, "We reject any form of censorship," and "art and politics should be separate." They also emphasized the institutional constraint that any country recognized by Italy can participate in accordance with procedures.
Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini told reporters on the 22nd, "The Russian pavilion is owned by Russia and is outside the control of the Biennale or the Italian government," and said he would attend the opening ceremony as planned. He criticized the EU's threat to withdraw €2 million as "ignorant pettiness."
The temperature varies by field. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) allowed only some athletes from Russia and Belarus to participate as individual neutral athletes (AIN) at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics and the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. Team events participating under the Russian flag, anthem, or delegation were categorically banned.
Russia is not budging on its determination to push ahead with participation regardless of the controversy. Karneeva, director of the Russian pavilion, said in a recent interview with a Russian outlet, "We are continuing to prepare the project, and there is no way we would cancel it on our side." Russian experts said Russia's position at international events like the Venice Biennale is likely to fragment into niche returns by sector before a full normalization.