The EU warned the Venice Biennale Foundation of its readiness to suspend or terminate the allocation of a €2 million grant over three years due to the decision to open the Russian pavilion.
The managing agency AHR sent a letter to the Venice Biennale Foundation, notifying it of the European Union's readiness to suspend or terminate the provision of a €2 million grant over three years. This was announced at a briefing in Brussels on Thursday, February 23, by European Commission (EC) representative Thomas Renier.
The reason is that in 2026, Russia will participate in the exhibition for the first time since the beginning of the full-scale war in Ukraine in 2022 and will open its pavilion.
The letter was sent following statements by European Commission Vice-President Henna Virkkunen, Commissioner for Culture Glenn Micallef, and the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell.
Letter to the Government of Italy
"Our position is quite clear, and we strongly condemn the fact that the organizers of the biennale allowed the Russian pavilion to resume operations at the art exhibition," emphasized Renier. According to him, he is not aware of any members of the European Commission planning to visit the exhibition in Venice.
Thomas Renier clarified that the European Commission initially sent a letter to the Italian government notifying it of possible further steps from Brussels. The response to it is currently being analyzed by the EC.
30-Day Deadline for Response from the Biennale
Two weeks ago, another letter was sent to the biennale organizers. They must provide a response within 30 days and clarify their position regarding the current exhibition.
If the response is unsatisfactory, the relevant contract will be suspended or terminated. The funds have not yet been disbursed, Thomas Renier specified.
What Russia Wants to Showcase
The 61st Venice Biennale will take place from May 9 to November 22, 2026. On March 3, the American publication ARTnews reported that Russia would be represented for the first time since 2022. The publication included a comment from the special representative of the President of the Russian Federation for international cultural cooperation and former Minister of Culture Mikhail Shvydkoy, who stated that the opening of the pavilion in 2026 indicates a "failure of the West's attempts to cancel Russian culture."
A source from DW close to the Russian pavilion team in Venice reported that Shvydkoy personally approved the list of festival participants. "The pavilion will not be overtly propagandistic; its main message is that true art is supposedly outside of politics and time. Shvydkoy believes that the West is tired of politicization, war, and cancel culture - and therefore now is the most appropriate time (for Russia's return to the biennale - Ed.) with such a project," he indicated.
The Instagram page of the Russian pavilion states that Moscow will present the project "The Tree is Rooted in the Sky" at the biennale, featuring over 50 musicians, poets, and philosophers from different countries. During this showcase - from May 5 to 8 - the biennale will be open only to journalists. According to Shvydkoy, from May 9, recordings of performances presented in the previous days will be broadcast on large screens inside the pavilion.
The EU Announced Plans to Withdraw Funding from the Biennale Due to Russia's Return Back in March
News of Russia's return to the Venice Biennale has drawn criticism from the European Commission. They stated that the decision of the forum organizers is "incompatible with the collective EU response" to the war waged by Russia against Ukraine. "If the Biennale Foundation continues to adhere to the decision to allow Russia to participate, we will consider further actions, including the suspension or termination of the EU grant allocated to the Biennale Foundation," the European Commission noted.
The intention to bring Russia back to the biennale has also been criticized by representatives of the Italian Ministry of Culture. They noted that the forum organizers made this decision "completely independently" and despite the disagreement of the country's government.
Official representatives of the forum, in turn, emphasize that the management does not make decisions regarding the use of national pavilions - they are owned by states, which independently choose curators and commissioners. Responding to the criticism, the chairman of the biennale from 2024, well-known Italian publicist with right-wing views Pietrangelo Buttafuoco, stated that this exhibition is "open to all."
