The Venice Biennale is the world's leading contemporary-art exhibition, sometimes dubbed the "Olympics of contemporary art". Its pavilions are scattered across gardens at Venice's eastern tip. Countries select artists to represent them, and the pavilions in which much of the work is displayed are owned by participating states.
Russia's pavilion was designed by the architect of Lenin's mausoleum. In 2022, after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the artists due to represent Russia pulled out; a monument built of sandbags kept Ukraine's plight in mind. Russia was not represented in 2024 either, but the organisers announced its return for the 2026 edition—a decision that outraged Ukrainians and diplomats across Europe.
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