EU Halts Funding for the Venice Art Biennale

The EU is suspending its funding for the Venice Art Biennale due to Russia’s controversial participation. Following a legal assessment and recommendation by the European Commission, the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) has decided to terminate the current grant of two million euros to the Fondazione La Biennale di Venezia, a Commission spokesperson in Brussels announced.

“Cultural projects funded by European taxpayer money should uphold democratic values and promote open dialogue, diversity, and freedom of expression—values that are not respected in today’s Russia,” the spokesperson explained.

The organizers of the Art Biennale described the cancellation of subsidies from Brussels as a long-awaited “political decision” that they intend to challenge. However, they stated that it would have “no significant impact on the budget, finances, or planned or ongoing activities.”

The Venice Art Biennale is one of the most important international exhibitions of contemporary art. This year, it will take place from May 9 to November 22. With this grant, the EU helped support film producers and immersive technology. The European Executive Agency for Education and Culture manages funds for education, culture, audiovisual media, sports, civic participation, and volunteer work.

Russian Pavilion Remains Closed

Russia is participating in the Art Biennale for the first time since the start of its invasion of Ukraine. About 50 artists handpicked by the Russian government—including musicians, poets, and philosophers—worked on the music and performance project “The Tree Is Rooted in Heaven.”

Although the pavilion, which is owned by the Russian government, remains closed to the general public, visitors can view the installation on a large screen outside. This was planned that way from the start, said the controversial curator Anastasia Karneeva, the daughter of an arms manager at the state-owned conglomerate Rostec who holds the rank of intelligence general. Russia views its participation as the end of its cultural isolation in the West.

Thousands of Cultural Monuments Destroyed in Ukraine

Criticism had already emerged following Russia's announcement. The Russian cultural offensive was condemned as part of Moscow's "hybrid warfare."

Ukraine protested Russia’s participation, in part because, according to official figures from Kyiv, thousands of cultural monuments and other cultural institutions have now been destroyed or damaged in the course of the war in Moscow. Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha and Culture Minister Tetiana Berezhna stated that the designated director of the Russian pavilion has ties to her country’s defense industry.

In March, members of the European Commission announced that they would consider suspending or terminating the current EU grant to the Biennale Foundation. “This decision by the Fondazione Biennale is incompatible with the EU’s collective response to Russia’s brutal aggression,” criticized Glenn Micallef and Henna Virkkunen.

Large Crowds at the Biennale

Despite—or perhaps as a result of—the controversy, visitor numbers in the first two months were, according to estimates, significantly higher than at the start of the 2024 Art Biennale. In mid-July, the Italian news agency Adnkronos reported, citing sources in Venice, that visitor numbers had increased by 20 percent.

There are consistently long lines in front of many of the national pavilions. If this trend continues, the current edition would become the most-visited art biennial in its more than 125-year history. The exhibition runs through November 22.