An Unprecedented 24-Hour Strike Could Upend the Venice Biennale
A 24-hour strike is set to disrupt the Venice Biennale’s opening week on Friday, May 8, protesting Israel’s participation in the event. Nika Grabar of the Nonument Group, representing Slovenia in the Arsenale, said the action reflects a “deep structural crisis” and expressed solidarity with the Biennale jury, which resigned after announcing on April 22 that it would not consider for Golden Lion awards artists representing countries accused of crimes against humanity—criteria that would include Israel and Russia. The strike escalates a campaign by the Art Not Genocide Alliance (ANGA), which delivered a letter in March demanding Israel’s exclusion; the letter has been signed by over 230 Biennale participants, including 113 artists, 38 curators, and 85 art workers. Biennale organizers said the strike is not an institutional action and that they aim to ensure orderly conduct while respecting freedom of expression and contractual obligations, as some pavilion teams debate whether to participate.
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This story was covered in Venice in Turmoil, Museums on the Brink