International Jury of 61st Venice Biennale Resigns

Venice Biennale 9 May–22 November 2026

The prize jury for the Venice Biennale, which is due to open on 9 May, have offered a statement of resignation. 

Their brief statement reads: “As of 30 April 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 22 April 2026.”

This follows the jury’s announcement on 22 April that they would not consider for awards countries whose leaders have been charged with crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court (ICC). The jury’s statement did not mention any countries by name, but was widely understood to refer to both Israel and Russia. 

President Benjamin Netanyahu was charged with both war crimes and crimes against humanity by the ICC in 2024. However, it does not technically include Russia, where President Putin has been charged by the ICC with war crimes, but not crimes against humanity.

The jury described their decision as a “commitment to the defence of human rights and to the spirit of Koyo Kouoh’s curatorial project”.