The jury of the Venice Art Biennale has decided to exclude Russia and Israel from the awards of the 61st International Exhibition. The all-female jury, chaired by Solange Farkas and composed of Zoe Butt, Elvira Dyangani Ose, Marta Kuzma, and Giovanna Zapperi, a diverse group in terms of geographical backgrounds, approaches, and critical trajectories, has claimed its responsibility regarding the thorny issue that has recently marked the history of the Biennale.
"As jury members, we also have a responsibility toward the historical role of the Biennale as a platform capable of connecting art with the urgencies of its time" reads the jury's statement published on e-Flux Notes. "This jury will refrain from considering those countries whose leaders are currently accused of crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court." The measure directly targets Russia and Israel, implicated respectively in the international arrest warrants issued for Vladimir Putin and Benjamin Netanyahu.
The Biennale Foundation, chaired by Pietrangelo Buttafuoco, responded by clarifying that the jury operates with "full autonomy and independence of judgment." The institution described the jurors' choice as a "natural expression of the freedom" that the Biennale itself guarantees, while reaffirming its longstanding policy of inclusion of recognized state representations.