Jury of the Venice Biennial resigns, Russia and Israel return to Award Contention
The entire jury of the Venice Biennale International Art Exhibition has resigned, organisers say, a week after the panel announced it would not hand out awards to artists from Russia or Israel.
In a written statement the five-strong jury, headed by Brazilian curator Solange Farkas, wrote:
As of April 30, 2026, we, the international jury selected by Koyo Kouoh, Artistic Director of the 61st edition of La Biennale di Venezia “In Minor Keys,” have resigned. We do so in acknowledgment of our Statement of Intention issued on April 22, 2026.
Solange Oliveira Farkas
Zoe Butt
Elvira Dyangani Ose
Marta Kuzma
Giovanna Zapperi
La Biennale di Venezia has decided that the Awards Ceremony of the 61st International Art Exhibition, previously scheduled for May 9, will take place on Sunday 22 November, the last day open to the public, as occurred in the past in other exceptional circumstances (the 2021 edition of the International Architecture Exhibition, due to Covid).
La Biennale di Venezia has therefore decided to establish for the 61st International Art Exhibition two Visitors’ Lions to be awarded:
- to the Best Participant in the 61st Exhibition In Minor Keys by Koyo Kouoh
- to the Best National Participation in the 61st Exhibition
Visitors eligible to vote for the Visitors’ Lions are ticket holders who have visited both Exhibition venues during the opening period of the 61st Exhibition, from May 9 to November 22. Visits to both venues will be verified through the ticketing system’s tracking. Each ticket holder may cast one vote for each of the two awards, in one single session. Artist collectives will be identified as single participants, according to the list of participants in the Exhibition In Minor Keys.
All National Participations included in the 61st Exhibition, as per the official list, are eligible for the Visitors’ Lion for the Best National Participation, following the principle of inclusion and equal treatment among all Participants. This is consistent with the founding spirit of La Biennale, based on openness, dialogue, and the rejection of any form of closure or censorship. La Biennale seeks to be—and must remain—a place of truce in the name of art, culture, and artistic freedom.