Entire 2026 Venice Biennale Jury Resigns
4May 1, 2026
The members of the international jury responsible for awarding the top prizes at the Sixty-FirstVenice Biennaletoday announced their resignation en masse. Jury president Solange Oliveira Farkas and members Zoe Butt, Marta Kuzma, Elvira Dyangani Ose, and Giovanna Zapperi had been handpicked byKoyo Kouoh, the Biennale’s artistic director, whodied suddenlylast summer. The group issued a brief statement, which was posted the Instagram and thewebsiteof arts platform e-flux acknowledging their departure.
“As of 30 April 2026, we, the international jury selected by Koyo Kouoh, Artistic Director of the 61st edition of La Biennale di VeneziaIn Minor Keys, have resigned,” wrote the quintet. “We do so in acknowledgment of ourStatement of Intentionissued on 22 April 2026.”
The New York Times reported that Biennale officials acknowledged the resignation. The group’s defection comes just days before the Biennale’s May 5 preview opening, and ahead of the expected May 9 awarding of the Golden Lions for best artist and best pavilion, the event’s most prestigious honors. The jury last week announced that it would not consider for the prize pavilions hosted by countries whose leaders are currently charged with crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court, leaving Israel and Russia out in the cold.
Controversy has long swirled about the inclusion of Israel and Russia in the Biennale. The EU last week said that it planned to rescind a $2.3 million grant scheduled to be awarded to the Venice Biennale in 2028 over Russia’s involvement in the 2026 iteration. Italian culture minister Alessandro Giuli last week announced that he was boycotting the Biennale’s preview as well as its May 9 public opening ceremony over Russia’s participation; today it was revealed that he has launched an official investigation into the country’s pavilion.