The Russian and Israeli pavilions will not be considered for top prizes at the 2026 Venice Biennale.
In a statement published on Thursday, the five-member jury of the world's biggest art exhibition, which runs in Venice from May 9 to November 22, said it would exclude countries whose leaders are currently charged with crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court.
That ruling applies to Russia, whose President Vladimir Putin has been wanted by the ICC since 2023 over the alleged unlawful deportation and transfer of Ukrainian children.
The panel’s declaration also applied to Israel, whose Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is the subject of a 2024 ICC arrest warrant over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity during the Gaza war.
“We acknowledge the complex relationship between artist practice and nation-state representation that provides a central structure for the Venice Biennale, particularly the way this relation binds artists' work with the actions of the state they represent,” the statement read.
“Consequently, this jury will refrain from the consideration of those countries whose leaders are currently charged with crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court.”
The panel is led by Brazilian curator Solange Oliveira Farkas and includes Elvira Dyangani Ose, artistic director of the Public Art Abu Dhabi Biennial, alongside Zoe Butt, Marta Kuzma and Giovanna Zapperi.
The decision deepens tension surrounding this year's event, titled In Minor Keys, which is being staged posthumously after the death of its curator, Koyo Kouoh, in 2025. She was the first African woman chosen to lead the Biennale's main international exhibition.
Russia's return to Venice for the first time since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine has put organisers in direct conflict with the European Union.
This week, the European Commission moved to withdraw a €2 million ($2.3 million) grant over Russia's participation, giving organisers 30 days to respond. Biennale president Pietrangelo Buttafuoco has defended the event's open-door approach, saying the exhibition would remain open to all countries recognised by Italy.
Israel's presence has also attracted sustained criticism. At the 2024 event, Israeli artist Ruth Patir kept her country's pavilion closed on the opening day, saying it would reopen only after a ceasefire in Gaza and an agreement on the release of hostages.
Disputes have not been limited to Russia and Israel. In Australia, Lebanese-born artist Khaled Sabsabi had his commission for the national pavilion rescinded in February over past works, including a 2007 video installation depicting the late Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
He was reinstated after public backlash and an external review commissioned by Creative Australia found a “series of missteps, assumptions and missed opportunities” in the handling of the process.
