Dozens of Artists Withdraw from Venice Biennale Awards

Venice Biennale 9 May–22 November 2026

More than 50 In Minor Keys artists and 22 national pavilion teams have withdrawn from awards consideration at this year’s Venice Biennale. 

In a statement issued on Saturday, the artists, curators and commissioners said they had made the decision “in solidarity” with the Golden and Silver Lion jury selected by late curator Koyo Kouoh, which resigned earlier this month prior to the opening of the biennale.

On Friday 8 May, many of the same pavilions and artists also participated in a strike held in protest against the presence of Israel at the 61st edition of the biennale. Curator of the Czech and Slovak pavilion, Peter Sit, who has since withdrawn from the awards, told Ocula: “We feel this is a historic moment and there is no place for the Israeli pavilion or the Russian pavilion [or] for their propaganda.”

The list of signatories also includes representatives from the pavilions of Belgium, France, Latvia, Ireland and the United Arab Emirates. Artists exhibiting throughout the biennale’s main exhibition, In Minor Keys, include Alice Maher, Mohammed Joha, Alfredo Jaar, Tuan Andrew Nguyen and Tabita Rezaire.

The awards’ five-curator jury resigned on 30 April, citing their earlier decision to exclude from awards consideration any country where leaders have been charged with crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court—a decision widely understood to refer to both Israel and Russia. 

The biennale subsequently announced that the Golden and Silver Lions, awarded to the best national pavilion and best participant in the main exhibition, would be replaced by a visitor-based voting system. 

Now dubbed the Visitors’ Lions, the prizes will be awarded on 22 November. Visitors wishing to vote in the awards must visit both of the exhibition’s sites, the Arsenale and the Giardini, where they will be verified by ticketing systems, and may cast one vote each. 

In a statement at the time, the biennale described the move as “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,” the statement continued. “La Biennale seeks to be—and must remain—a place of truce in the name of art, culture, and artistic freedom.”

The biennale opened to the public on Saturday, following four days of media and VIP previews during which a number of protests against the presence of both the Israeli and Russian pavilions took place.

Speaking to The New York Times in April, following the resignation of the awards’ jury, Israeli pavilion artist Belu-Simion Fainaru said: “I’m an artist and have equal rights, and I can’t be judged by belonging to a country or a race.” He added: “I should just be judged on the quality and message of my art.”