EU moves to cut Venice Biennale funding over Russia’s return

The European Union escalated its standoff with the Venice Biennale on Tuesday, with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas declaring that Russia's participation in the storied art exhibition is "morally indefensible" as the bloc moves to strip funding from the event.x+1

Speaking to reporters after the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg on April 21, Kallas tied the funding threat directly to Russia's ongoing destruction in Ukraine. "As Russia continues to bombard Ukrainian museums, devastate churches, and attempt to obliterate Ukrainian cultural heritage, the EU must not permit such aggression to shape its agenda," she said.mezha

A €2 Million Grant at Stake

The confrontation has been building since early March, when Russia announced it would reopen its national pavilion at the 61st Venice Biennale after a two-edition absence. The country withdrew from the 2022 edition following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine and lent its pavilion to Bolivia in 2024.nytimes+2

The European Commission's Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency sent a formal letter to Biennale president Pietrangelo Buttafuoco on April 10, warning that the institution risks losing a €2 million grant covering 2025 to 2028 unless it takes "corrective measures" within 30 days. The agency argued that by accepting Russian artists as a "government delegation" financed by Moscow, the Biennale appears to have accepted indirect support from Russia in violation of EU sanctions.brusselssignal+1

The Biennale has pushed back, stating it is "certain of not having violated any rule" and has acted in compliance with national and international law. The institution has until May 11 to present its case.wantedinmilan+1

Political Fallout in Italy and Beyond

The dispute has drawn sharp reactions across Italy's political spectrum. Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini called the EU's intervention "a vulgar act of blackmail" against Italian cultural institutions. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, meanwhile, signed a decree sanctioning five cultural figures linked to the Russian pavilion, including its commissioner.wantedinmilan

Russia's planned exhibition, titled "The Tree is Rooted in the Sky," is set to feature work by some 36 artists. The Biennale's 61st International Art Exhibition opens to the public on May 9, with press previews scheduled for May 6–8. An open letter signed by 22 European ministers has called on the Biennale to block Russia from using the event to gain "international acceptance".apnews+2