Israel’s Artist Reportedly Pressured Venice Biennale Before Jury’s Resignation
Multiple media reports say Belu-Simion Fainaru, Israel’s representative at the Venice Biennale, pressured organizers before the Biennale’s five-person jury abruptly resigned last week. Before resigning, the jury announced it would not consider for Golden Lion awards any nations charged with crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court, a policy that would have applied to Israel and Russia. Italian news agency Adnkronos reported that Fainaru alleged “racial discrimination” and “antisemitism” and threatened to take the matter to the European Court of Human Rights, after which the Biennale warned jurors they could be held personally liable for damages in a dispute. Hyperallergic reported it confirmed the legal threats, and a Biennale spokesperson told Hyperallergic the reports were true but declined further comment; Fainaru also told the New York Times he should be judged on his art rather than his nationality or race.
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This story was covered in Venice in Turmoil, Museums on the Brink