The Venice Biennale is the world's oldest and largest global art gathering, founded in 1895 to mark the 25th wedding anniversary of King Umberto of Italy and his wife and to display the strength of the newly unified nation. National pavilions are scattered around Venice's Giardini (public gardens) and Arsenale (former shipyards).
The 61st edition opened on May 9th 2026 with the theme "In Minor Keys" and 100 national pavilions. It was the most chaotic since 1968, when student protesters targeted it. The Biennale's decision to readmit Russia prompted the European Commission to pull €2m of funding and some leaders to boycott. For the first time in its history, the prize jury resigned, after announcing it would not consider countries facing war-crimes charges (Russia and Israel); visitors were instead asked to vote. Russia's pavilion opened for previews but stayed closed for the main event; Israel's permanent pavilion was shut "for construction".
Ukraine's contribution, "Security Guarantees" by Zhanna Kadyrova, was a hulking origami-deer sculpture removed from Pokrovsk and driven across Europe—a reference to America's 1994 promise to protect Ukraine in exchange for giving up its nuclear arsenal. America's pavilion, by Alma Allen, was chosen for the first time without involvement of the National Endowment for the Arts.
QOTD: "I used to be lost in the shuffle, now I just shuffle along with the lost."