Revision History

The 61st Venice Biennale opened on May 9, 2026, without a jury or Golden Lion prizes after all five jury members resigned over the participation of Russia and Israel, whose leaders face ICC arrest warrants. The crisis escalated into a 24-hour strike that shuttered 18 national pavilions, 81 artist withdrawals from prize consideration, and a European Commission threat to pull €2 million in funding — raising fundamental questions about whether the world's oldest contemporary art exhibition can survive as both a geopolitical stage and an autonomous cultural institution.