Putin ‘Won’ the Venice Biennale, Quips Italian Culture Minister
Italian culture minister Alessandro Giuli told Corriere della Sera in an interview published May 7 that “Putin won at the Biennale,” criticizing Russia’s controversial return to the Venice Biennale and arguing the pavilion did not appear positioned to express dissent against the Russian regime. The article reports that activists and politicians called for Russia’s removal and that the European Union threatened to withhold a €2 million grant, but the Biennale said it could not exclude a state recognized by Italy and that Giardini pavilions need only notify organizers to participate. Protests still occurred, including demonstrations led by Pussy Riot and FEMEN, and the Biennale’s five-member jury resigned after stating that countries whose leaders face International Criminal Court warrants for crimes against humanity would not be considered for Golden Lions—a stance understood to affect Israel and Russia. ARTnews also reported that Giuli later fired two senior aides amid separate controversy over his ministry’s refusal to fund a documentary about Italian student Giulio Regeni, killed in Cairo in 2016.
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This story was covered in Biennale Boycotts, Museums Under the Microscope