The controversies that accompany the 61st International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale Part 2026 They mainly concern the participation of certain countries involved in geopolitical tensions and international conflicts. In particular, the debate focused on Russia's presence, which is returning to the center of international cultural discussion while the war with Ukraine, sparked by Tsar Vladimir Putin's invasion, is still ongoing.
Several European governments and cultural institutions have expressed strong criticism, arguing that Russia's participation in such a significant cultural event could be interpreted as a form of symbolic legitimacy on the international stage. Some culture and foreign affairs ministers of several European countries have therefore officially requested that the Russian pavilion be reconsidered, deeming it inappropriate to offer a platform for cultural visibility to a state involved in such a serious military conflict.
The issue has also taken on an institutional and economic dimension
Some positions within the European Union have in fact raised the possibility of reviewing or suspending part of the funding allocated to the event should Russia's participation be confirmed. This scenario has further fueled public debate regarding the Biennale's role in the international political context.
For its part, the Biennale's management reiterated that the exhibition was created as a platform for global artistic dialogue and not as a tool for political exclusion. According to the event's historic regulations, countries with a permanent pavilion in the Giardini della Biennale can participate independently, without the need for a formal invitation. Russia, which has had its own pavilion since 1914, falls into this category.
The controversies demonstrate once again that the Biennale is not only a major artistic event, but also a place where art, cultural diplomacy, and international politics intertwine. The presence of 99 National Participations makes it inevitable that global tensions and conflicts will also be reflected in the symbolic space of contemporary art, transforming the Venetian exhibition into a mirror of the dynamics of the contemporary world.
La 61st International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale, entitled In Minor Keys and curated by Koyo Kouoh, presents itself as one of the largest and most comprehensive contemporary art events in the world. The exhibition, which takes place in the city of Venice, expands the traditional exhibition itinerary with an extremely rich program: in addition to the main curatorial project, there will be 99 National Participations e 31 Side Events, distributed among the pavilions of the Giardini della Biennale, the Venice Arsenale and numerous cultural spaces spread throughout the city.
The title In Minor Keys It immediately prompts a reflection on tone, listening, and the subtler frequencies of contemporary experience. The curator proposes an understanding of art as a space of sensitivity and resonance, where often marginalized or less amplified voices find a deeper dimension of listening. From this perspective, the exhibition is configured as a vast laboratory of visual and audio narratives, capable of bringing together artists from diverse geographical, cultural, and generational backgrounds.
The 99 National Participations
Participations are one of the historic pillars of the International Art Exhibition. Each country presents its own exhibition project, often entrusted to curators and artists who reflect on contemporary issues of identity, social, and political life. The national pavilions thus become places for the exchange of diverse perspectives, offering the public a complex and nuanced map of ongoing artistic research around the world.
Alongside the national pavilions, the Biennale is also enriched with 31 Collateral Events
Additionally, exhibitions and cultural projects selected and officially recognized by the Biennale but organized by international institutions, foundations, and cultural organizations. These events, hosted in historic buildings, art foundations, and exhibition spaces throughout the lagoon city, contribute to further expanding the dialogue between contemporary art, urban architecture, and Venetian history.
Taken together, the international exhibition, the national participations and the collateral events transform Venice in a vast cultural ecosystem, where artists, curators, scholars, and visitors are invited to explore new ways of perceiving and interpreting the present. The 61st International Art Exhibition thus confirms the Biennale's central role as a platform for research, experimentation, and global exchange, capable of connecting the many "minor keys" through which contemporary art interprets today's world.
Public Info
Venice, Giardini and Arsenale, May 9 – November 22, 2026. Closed on Mondays (except Mondays, May 11, June 1, September 7, and November 16).
Opening hours: Summer hours: 11am – 7pm (from 9 May to 27 September – last admission 6:45pm)
Until September 26th, Arsenale venue only: Friday and Saturday opening hours extended until 8:00 pm (last admission 7:45 pm)
Autumn opening hours: 10am – 6pm (September 29th – November 22nd – last admission 5:45pm)
