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MILAN: Dozens of artists participating in this year’s Venice Biennale have threatened legal action if their names are not removed from a visitor ballot introduced to replace jury-selected awards, escalating tensions over what many describe as a deeply contested edition of the prestigious contemporary art exhibition.
The dispute centers on the Biennale’s decision to scrap its traditional Golden Lion jury awards after the panel resigned in protest over the participation of Israel and Russia. The jury’s resignation statement referenced ongoing investigations by the International Criminal Court into alleged crimes against humanity in the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza.
The exhibition, which opened on May 9, has been marked by protests and controversy, including demonstrations outside the Israeli and Russian pavilions during preview week. In place of jury decisions, organizers introduced a public voting system allowing visitors at the Giardini and Arsenale venues to select winners for best national pavilion and best participant in the main exhibition titled “In Minor Keys,” curated under a plan developed by the late Koyo Kouoh. The results are scheduled to be announced on November 22, the closing day of the event.
However, a protest letter made public on Wednesday argues that the voting process “lacked transparency and accountability,” and claims that organizers failed to respond to an earlier request, submitted on May 20, asking for names to be removed from the ballot. The letter was also signed by several curators and commissioners.
The artists contend that the system effectively renders the vote meaningless, describing it as “a waste of time” that asks visitors “to cast votes that cannot be counted.” They have now indicated that steps toward legal proceedings are underway.
In response, Biennale officials provided a letter dated May 28 stating that all names would remain on the ballot “to guarantee all visitors have the freedom of expression,” while clarifying that none of the signatories would be eligible for prizes.
Among those requesting removal are nearly 70 artists from the main exhibition and around 40 national pavilions, including Iceland, Norway, and Denmark. These countries have also been among those calling for Russia to be excluded from future editions following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Austrian artist Florentina Holzinger, whose widely discussed installation features recycled wastewater from portable toilets outside the Austrian Pavilion, is also among the signatories seeking removal from the voting list.
