Israel and Russia sidelined from Top Prizes at Venice Biennale
In a statement published on Thursday, the jury of the Biennale, which runs in Venice from May 9 to November 22, said it would exclude countries whose leaders are currently charged with crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court.
That ruling applies to Russia, President Vladimir Putin has been wanted by the ICC since 2023 over the unlawful deportation and transfer of Ukrainian children.
The panel’s statement also applied to Israel, whose Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is the subject of a 2024 ICC arrest warrant.
“We acknowledge the complex relationship between artist practice and nation-state representation that provides a central structure for the Venice Biennale, particularly the way this relation binds artists' work with the actions of the state they represent,” the statement read.
“Consequently, this jury will refrain from the consideration of those countries whose leaders are currently charged with crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court.”