In Protest of Israeli Pavilion, Activists and Unions Plan Strike on Venice Biennale’s Opening Day
ARTnews reports that the Art Not Genocide Alliance (ANGA) announced a 24-hour strike and rally on May 8, ahead of the opening of the 2026 Venice Biennale to the public on Saturday, in protest of the Israel Pavilion. ANGA, formed during opposition to Israel’s participation in the 2024 Biennale, has labeled the 2026 Israeli presentation by Haifa-based artist Belu-Simion Fainaru the “Genocide Pavilion” since Israel’s participation was announced in January, and its March open letter calling for Israel’s exclusion has more than 200 signatories including Lubaina Himid, P. Staff, Sophia Al-Maria, Sara Flores, Farah Al Qasimi, Meriem Bennani, Alfredo Jaar, and Gala Porras-Kim. The article says some 60 artists also organized a “Solidarity Drone Chorus” action, and quotes artist Carolina Caycedo criticizing the Biennale’s decision to relocate the Israeli Pavilion within the Arsenale as forcing complicity on nearby artists. The strike is set to begin with a 4:30 p.m. rally in Viale Garibaldi, with ANGA collaborating with Venice-based labor and culture groups including Biennalocene, Vogliamo Tutt’altro, S.a.L.E. Docks, and Mi Riconosci.
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This story was covered in Biennale Uprisings, Looted Legacies Unravel