Artists, curators, and cultural employees are threatening a boycott of the 61st Venice Biennale, slated to open on Could 9, 2026, over its “complicit invitation” of Israel.
In an open letter despatched to Biennale organizers at this time, October 2, the nameless activist group Artwork Not Genocide Alliance (ANGA), described in an electronic mail to Hyperallergic as a global collective of artists, curators, writers, and artwork employees, referred to as for “the rapid and full exclusion” of Israel from the forthcoming iteration.
“After greater than 700 days of genocide and 77 years of occupation, apartheid, and ethnic cleaning, the pavilion should stay closed,” the missive reads.
The letter cites the 24,000 signatories of ANGA’s earlier petition opposing Israel’s participation within the 2024 Biennale, together with a whole bunch of artists who’ve participated in earlier Biennales. “Now, 18 months later, we reiterate the demand for the rapid and full exclusion of Israel from the Venice Biennale,” the letter mentioned.
Final 12 months’s Biennale was marked by protests at each the Israeli and United States pavilions. Ruth Patir, the artist chosen to symbolize Israel on the Biennale, opted to partially shut her exhibition, a transfer that some mentioned didn’t go far sufficient.
ANGA’s newest missive additionally takes subject with the deliberate relocation of the Israeli Pavilion to the historic Arsenale Complicated, citing an announcement revealed by the Israeli Ministry of Tradition in late August. The choice to ascertain an “different pavilion” for Israel, the announcement mentioned, is because of “renovations” at its everlasting web site within the Giardini, the normal location of nationwide pavilions since 1895, the place Israel sits straight subsequent door to the USA. A flooring plan and map present that Israel’s new exhibition house will likely be within the Sala d’Armi G, within the south part of Arsenale advanced.
However the authors of the petition argue that the continuing boycott is the actual purpose for the pavilion relocation.
“At a time when Israel continues to escalate its genocide with the destruction and floor invasion of Gaza Metropolis, following months of enforced famine, the Biennale needs to be ashamed to be in dialogue with the cultural representatives of the Israeli occupation,” the letter mentioned.
Israel opted out of this 12 months’s Venice Biennale of Structure, additionally claiming that the choice was as a result of renovations to their everlasting pavilion. Then, too, critics identified that Israel was going through worldwide strain to not take part.
Hyperallergic has contacted the Venice Biennale for remark.
Requires Israel’s exclusion from the upcoming Biennale come amid mounting international actions in assist of Palestine, the place the Israeli army’s ongoing assault on Gaza has killed upwards of 65,000 individuals and wounded greater than 167,000. A number of human rights organizations and a United Nations fee have categorised the assaults as a genocide.
This morning, Israeli forces reportedly boarded and detained dozens of crew members aboard the worldwide civilian-led International Sumud Flotilla who have been making an attempt to interrupt Israel’s naval blockade and ship humanitarian support to Gaza. Passengers aboard the convoy embody humanitarian activist Greta Thunberg; Nkosi Zwelivelile Mandela, a grandson of anti-apartheid activist Nelson Mandela; and Artists Towards Apartheid members Carsie Blanton and Leila Hegazy.
ANGA mentioned in its letter at this time that the Biennale has till 15 October to answer its letter earlier than it’ll “leverage the motion to make sure most reputational and financial penalties for the Biennale.”
