Commencement of Venice Biennale previews marred by protests over Israeli, Russian presence |
VENICE (AFP) — Bare-breasted activists protested at the Venice Biennale on Wednesday, incensed over the return of Russia to the prestigious art festival for the first time since the Ukrainian war broke out more than four years ago.
Meanwhile, about one hundred pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered in front of Israel’s pavilion on Wednesday, holding up banners saying “No artwashing genocide.”
The world’s largest contemporary art exhibition, which takes place every two years in the Italian canal city, has been hit by resignations, boycotts and threats to cut funding over the including of Israel and Russia.
Wearing pink balaclavas, baring their breasts and setting off pink smoke bombs, Ukrainian feminist collective Femen and Russian protest punk band Pussy Riot demonstrated outside the Russian pavilion at the start of Wednesday’s press previews, which run through Friday. The exhibits will open to the public on Saturday.
“We are here to remind that the only Russian culture, the only Russian art today is blood,” Femen activist Inna Shevchenko told reporters.
“This pavilion stands on Ukrainian mass graves,” she said, adding that it was the first time the two groups had staged a joint protest.
Russia’s inclusion for the first time since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine sparked outrage from Italy’s government and the European Union, which threatened to cut two million euros ($2.3 million) in funding from the Biennale.
The Biennale jury last week resigned after saying they would not hand out awards to countries led by figures subject to arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The move isolated Israel and Russia, whose leaders Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Russian President Vladimir Putin both face such........