EU withdraws funding from the Venice Biennale over Russia’s participation

The European Commission has definitively canceled a €2 million grant for the Venice Biennale because Russia was allowed to participate in the exhibition, AFP reports. European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier said that “cultural events financed by European taxpayers must uphold democratic values, open dialogue, diversity, and freedom of expression” — principles which, he said, “are not being observed in today’s Russia.”

The Biennale opened in May. Russia was allowed to take part for the first time since the invasion of Ukraine began in 2022. The decision was met with sharp criticism from Kyiv and EU leaders. Italy’s government and the exhibition organizers were accused of violating the sanctions regime.

Ukraine’s culture minister, Tetiana Berezhna, compared allowing Russia to participate to “inviting a serial killer to dinner with friends.” The Biennale’s international jury resigned in protest against the opening of the Russian pavilion.

In the end, the European Commission gave the Italian side 30 days to justify its decision. The organizers denied violating EU rules and emphasized that the exhibition is based on the principles of “openness, dialogue, and rejection of all forms of isolation or censorship.” The Italian government said that the Biennale operates “entirely independently” of Rome’s position. The European Commission found these arguments unconvincing. The event organizers said they had expected the grant to be canceled and intended to “defend their rights in all instances.”

The EU’s refusal to provide funding was an unprecedented case in the history of the Biennale — the world’s largest contemporary art exhibition. Italy’s Culture Ministry has already said it will seek alternative sources of funding. According to media reports, the grant accounted for a significant part of the Biennale’s budget, and its loss could lead to a reduction in the scale of future exhibitions. The organizers maintained that the situation “will not have a significant impact” on current and planned events.