Nearly 200 participants in the Venice Biennale have signed an open letter demanding the exclusion of Israel from the exhibition. The petition was initiated by the international group Art Not Genocide Alliance (ANGA).
Art Newspaper writes about this.
In the letter, the signatories declare their collective refusal to cooperate with an institution that provides a platform for Israel “during a time of genocide.” They also express solidarity with Palestinian artists and emphasize that Israeli actions “destroy the cultural life of Palestine” and are directed, in particular, against the arts.
A separate outrage from activists was caused by the organizers' decision to place the Israeli pavilion in the Arsenale — an exhibition space directly controlled by the Biennale organizers — instead of the traditional location in the Giardini, which is currently under reconstruction.
Signatories include renowned artists such as Alfredo Haar, Ito Barrada, Rosana Paulino, Meriem Bennani, Colin Smith, as well as curators Binna Chhoy and Carles Guerra.
ANGA had already appealed to the organizers of the biennale in October last year with a demand to prevent Israel from participating in 2026. If this demand was not met, the alliance promised to initiate a “full boycott campaign” of the biennale, as well as to ensure “maximum reputational and economic consequences” for the exhibition.
The ANGA campaign has been ongoing since 2024, when a similar appeal gathered tens of thousands of signatures. Israel was not excluded from the biennale, but the country's pavilion never opened: artist Ruth Patir refused to participate until a ceasefire and hostage release were reached.
This year, Israel will be represented by sculptor Bela-Simion Fainaru , who has publicly opposed boycotts. This year, according to media reports, the Israeli government added a clause to the contract that obliges the artist to ensure the opening of the exhibition regardless of protests .
The situation is unfolding in parallel with criticism of the organizers over the decision to allow the Russian pavilion to return. Italian Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli has already called for the resignation of the government representative on the Venice Biennale board, Tamara Gregoretti, because she did not inform the ministry of these changes.
The heads of culture and foreign ministries of 22 countries have spoken out against Russia's participation in the exhibition. The biennale also risks losing about 2 million euros in EU funding due to Russia's participation.
A total of 99 countries will participate in the 2026 Venice Biennale. Organizers have previously said they do not have the authority to exclude countries recognized by Italy. They also reject “any form of censorship” and insist on preserving the biennale as a space for dialogue and artistic freedom.