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Art is always political!

Italy

ACTION · No Russia at the Venice Biennale, Pussy Riot takes action!

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Pussy riot protests against the participation of Russia at the Venice Biennale

protest - Pussy riot

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The Venice Biennale is one of the biggest and most prestigious art events of Europe. Twenty-eight countries all have their own pavilion there, where art chosen especially for the Biennale is exhibited. Russia had been banned by the organisation of participation since 2022, because of their invasion of Ukraine. The zionist entitiy ‘israel’ has always been allowed to participate, despite the ongoing genocide in Palestine, and the attacks on surrounding countries.  

Action

The inclusion of Russia and ‘israel’ 

This year it was announced that Russia would be allowed to participate again, as the Biennale was supposedly above geopolitical conflicts. The Italian Minister of Culture explicitly announced his support for the ongoing participation of ‘israel’. 

Nine days before the opening of the event, the professional jury resigned, after they had released a statement a few days earlier announcing that they would not give any prizes to countries who are currently being accused of crimes against humanity. Because that declaration was not accepted by the organisation of the event: they were even told that they could be held legally responsible if ‘israel’ pressed charges for this exclusion.  

 

Pussy Riot 

The activists of Pussy Riot disagree with the participation of Russia. They state that the inclusion of Putin’s Russia normalises his crimes against his own people, and against the people of Ukraine. On the 6th of May they protested, dressed in the by now iconic pink balaclava’s, against the Russian inclusion of the art event, by protesting in front of the entrance, complete with loud guitars and a punk song specifically written for this demo. Because of the action the doors of the Biennale had to close for a while, and Russia’s re-entry of the event at least didn’t go by silently.  

Het Actiefonds is proud to have been able to support this action, and hopes that the next Biennale (logically) rules out countries of which the heads of state are actively wanted for crimes against humanity. Art should never be allowed to be used to wash away the crimes of a state.  

Incidentally, for the next edition of the Biennale Pussy Riot has offered to curate the Russian pavilion with art made exclusively by artists who have ever, or are still, incarcerated by the Russian regime.