Finland Pulls Back Venice Biennale Presence Over Return of Russian Pavilion
Finland’s Ministry of Education and Culture said Finland’s political leadership will not attend the Venice Biennale this year if the Russian Pavilion returns as planned, citing Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine. Minister of Science and Culture Mari-Leena Talvitie said some Finnish public officials will still attend to support Finnish arts and culture, stopping short of a full withdrawal. The move follows a March open letter led by Latvia and signed by 22 high-ranking European politicians (including Finnish officials) calling Russia’s participation “deeply troubling,” and an earlier-this-month warning from the European Commission that the Biennale could lose a €2 million grant for its 2028 edition if concerns about potential EU sanctions violations are not addressed. Russia’s pavilion, titled “The Tree is Rooted in the Sky,” is expected to present a multidisciplinary program of musicians, poets, and artists, with organizers framing it as cultural dialogue beyond politics.
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This story was covered in New Museums, Old Wounds: Restitution and Rehangs