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Credit: Far Out / La Biennale di Venezia
Over 70 artists have withdrawn from competing for the ‘Golden Lion’ at the Venice Biennale.
A joint statement, published on May 9th on e-flux, reads, “As of May 9, 2026, we, the undersigned artists from In Minor Keys, selected by Koyo Kouoh, Artistic Director of the 61st edition of La Biennale di Venezia, and from National Pavilions withdraw from consideration for the ‘Visitor Lion’ awards.”
The statement adds, “We do so in solidarity with the resignation jury selected by Koyo Kouoh.”
The list of artists to withdraw includes Laurie Anderson, Walid Read, Fabric Aragno, Alfredo Jaar, Sabian Baumann, Alice Maher, Sorhab Hura, Carolina Caycedo, Tania Peterson, and Yoshiko Shimada.
The signatories also include representatives from a number of countries, such as Ireland, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Türkiye, the Netherlands, France, Luxembourg, Belgium, Spain and the United Arab Emirates.
It comes after the international jury resigned en masse over their inclusion to allow Russia and Israel to compete in 2026. Russia had previously been blacklisted from the competition since it’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
In their statement, they explained, “This jury will refrain from considering those countries whose leaders are currently charged with crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court.”
The international jury then quoted Venice’s artistic director Koyo Kouoh’s own curatorial statement, which reads, “In refusing the spectacle of horror, the time has come to listen to the minor keys, to tune in sotto voce to the whispers, to the lower frequencies; to find the oases, the islands, where the dignity of all living beings is safeguarded.”
Kouoh was appointed as artistic director for the 2026 edition; however, she sadly died last year.
The controversial decision to allow Russia to compete also caused the European Union to cut funding to the Venice Biennale.
Last week, Pussy Riot teamed up with Ukrainian collective Femen to take a stand against the opening of the Russian pavilion, where they shouted,“Russia kills! Biennale exhibits!”, as well as “Disobey! Disobey! Disobey!”, “Blood is Russia’s art!”, “Art for show, graves below!”, and “Slava Ukraini!”
During the VIP previews last week, there was also a protest against the opening of the Israeli pavilion.
The artists to withdraw from Venice Biennale:
- Pio Abad
- Fabric Aragno
- Arms Ache Avid Aeon
- Sammy Baloji
- Éric Baudelaire
- Sabian Baumann
- Nancy Brooks Brody Estate
- BuBu De La Madeleine
- Carolina Caycedo
- Annalee Davis
- Bonnie Devine
- Nolan Oswald Dennis
- Rana Elnemr
- Joy Episalla
- Rachel Fallon
- Sofía Gallisá Muriente
- Joana Hadjithomas & Khalil Joreige
- Sohrab Hura
- Mohammed Joha
- Fierce Pussy
- Alfredo Jaar
- Michael Joo
- Nina Katchadourian
- Guadalupe Maravilla
- Natalia Lassalle Morillo
- Florence Lazar
- Zoe Leonard
- Alice Maher
- Sally Mizrachi
- Avi Mograbi & Avital Barak
- Tuan Andrew Nguyen
- Otobong Nkanga
- Hagar Ophir
- Uriel Orlow
- Alan Phelan
- Walid Raad
- Mohammed Z. Rahman
- Tabita Rezaire
- Guadalupe Rosales
- Yo-E Ryou
- Rose Salane
- Carrie Schneider
- Hala Schoukair
- Berni Searle
- Yoshiko Shimada
- Himali Singh Soin and David Soin Tappeser
- Cauleen Smith
- Vera Tamari
- Jo-ey Tang
- Carrie Yamaoka
- Raed Yassin
- Thania Petersen
- Laurie Anderson
- Leonard Pongo
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