The prestigious Venice Biennale, often dubbed the ‘Olympics of the arts,’ has become a focal point for geopolitical tensions this year, particularly with Russia’s return to the event for the first time since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. This controversial presence ignited a dramatic protest by the Russian punk protest group Pussy Riot, joined by the Ukrainian-founded Femen, who converged on the Biennale gardens. Dressed in black with fluorescent pink balaclavas, activists outside the Russian national pavilion ignited smoke flares and chanted, “Russia kills! Biennale exhibits!” while displaying posters that provocatively declared, “Curated by Putin, dead bodies included.”

Nadya Tolokonnikova of Pussy Riot characterized Russia’s participation as a component of its hybrid warfare, asserting that cultural engagement is a tactic to influence the West. The European Commission has strongly condemned Russia’s inclusion, threatening to withdraw €2 million in funding, arguing that allowing an aggressor to shine on such a platform violates ethical standards. While Italy’s culture minister plans to boycott the opening, Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, known for his past support of Vladimir Putin, has opposed exclusion, stating that “No pavilion should be excluded.” The commissioner for the Russian pavilion, Anastasia Karneeva, whose father is a deputy head at the sanctioned state weapons producer Rostec, largely dismissed the protests, emphasizing the pavilion as Russia’s rightful space.

The dissent at the 61st Biennale extends beyond Russia. The entire international jury recently resigned in protest after a statement referenced countries with leaders sought by the International Criminal Court for suspected war crimes, implicitly including Russia and Israel. Separately, protesters targeted the Israeli exhibit, scattering leaflets denouncing a “Genocide Pavilion,” which prompted Israel’s foreign ministry to criticize a “political jury” for fostering “anti-Israeli political indoctrination.” Biennale President Pietrangelo Buttafuoco, a right-wing former journalist, has vehemently defended the inclusivity of the event, accusing critics of fostering a “laboratory of intolerance” and condemning calls for censorship or exclusion of any nation, stating that the Biennale should not select “affiliations” or “passports.”

Amidst these controversies, a poignant counter-narrative emerged across Venice with posters advertising an “Invisible Pavilion” dedicated to Ukrainian artists, including those like Volodymyr Vakulenko, who were killed during the Russian occupation of their villages. These posters bore a stark message: “Cancelled. Because the author was killed by Russia.” Ukraine’s official contribution, artist Zhanna Kadyrova’s concrete origami deer sculpture, serves as a powerful symbol of displacement and destroyed heritage. Originally installed in Pokrovsk in the Donbas region, the artwork had to be evacuated from its home to escape occupation, embodying the fate of millions and questioning the uncounted losses of cultural heritage in the ongoing conflict.