The 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia has been thrown into turmoil after the event’s entire International Jury resigned en masse just days before its official opening.
La Biennale di Venezia confirmed that the jury for the 2026 edition, titled In Minor Keys and curated by the late Koyo Kouoh – who sadly passed away in 2025 – has stepped down in full. The panel had been composed of Solange Oliveira Farkas (president), founder and artistic director of Associação Cultural Videobrasil; Zoe Butt, curator, writer and educator, founder of “in-tangible institute” and artistic director of “deCentral”, Thailand; Elvira Dyangani Ose, curator and artistic director of the Public Art Abu Dhabi Biennial; Marta Kuzma, curator, contemporary art theorist and Professor at the Yale School of Art; Giovanna Zapperi, art historian, critic and Professor at the University of Geneva.
In a joint statement issued with only nine days remaining before the inauguration, the jury explained that their decision was consistent with an earlier position: they would not evaluate or award prizes to national pavilions representing countries “whose leaders are currently charged with crimes against humanity.”
The resignation marks the latest in a series of controversies surrounding the 2026 Biennale, widely regarded as the world’s most prestigious contemporary art exhibition. The situation intensified just one day earlier, when a delegation from Italy’s Ministry of Culture arrived in Venice to assess the potential reopening of the Russian Pavilion. Italy’s culture minister had already publicly declared a boycott of the Biennale. Meanwhile, in April, the European Union announced it would withdraw a €2 million grant, citing Russia’s return to the exhibition as “morally wrong.”
The unprecedented collective resignation raises urgent questions about governance, cultural diplomacy, and the role of international exhibitions in times of geopolitical conflict. With the opening imminent, La Biennale di Venezia now faces mounting pressure to respond swiftly and transparently. As the art world watches closely, the 2026 edition of the Venice Biennale is shaping up to be defined as much by political reckoning as by artistic innovation.
La Biennale di Venezia runs from 9 May until 22 November, 2026. For more information, visit the official website: https://www.labiennale.org/
