Venice Biennale - Russian Pavilion Participation
International art community calls for Russia's exclusion from Venice Biennale following invasion of Ukraine and cultural destruction.
This is not a traditional artist opportunity but rather a significant cultural and political development in the international art world. Representatives of the international art community have published an open letter calling for the Russian Federation to be barred from participating in the Venice Biennale, one of the world's largest and most prestigious art exhibitions.
The letter was addressed to the Biennale's president, Pietrangelo Buttafuoco, and the institution's director, Andrea del Mercato. The signatories reference the Biennale's March 2022 statement condemning Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and announcing refusal to cooperate with official Russian delegations, institutions, or individuals associated with the Russian government.
The appeal emphasizes that Russia's war against Ukraine has directly devastated the cultural sphere, resulting in deaths of Ukrainian artists, writers, and cultural figures, as well as damage or destruction of hundreds of museums, archives, libraries, and cultural heritage sites. The signatories express concern that the announced participation of the Russian state pavilion contradicts the Biennale's previously stated position.
Key concerns raised in the letter include the involvement of Mikhail Shvydkoy, Russian President's Special Representative for International Cultural Cooperation, who stated that "culture is outside politics," which signatories view as a political tool masking state interests. Additionally, the letter highlights connections between Russian pavilion organizers and state structures, particularly project commissioner Anastasia Korneeva's ties to Rostec, a key Russian military-industrial complex enterprise.
The signatories also note concerns about the Russian pavilion's theme of "diverse traditions of Russia" and indigenous artist participation, arguing this may inappropriately appropriate decolonial discourse while ignoring centuries of colonization, Russification, and repression of these cultures by Russian and Soviet authorities.
The Venice Biennale announced Russia's participation in its list of participating countries on March 4, with the Russian national pavilion titled "The Tree Is Rooted In the Sky."