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Culture

At Venice Biennale, “Invisible Pavilion” Memorializes Ukrainian Artists Killed by Russia

3 min read
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Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko
Dariia Mykhailenko
News Writer
Poster from the "Invisible Pavilion" campaign. (Source: press office)
Poster from the "Invisible Pavilion" campaign. (Source: press office)

An unofficial artistic initiative taking place across Venice during the Venice Biennale is drawing attention to the human impact of Russia’s war against Ukraine by focusing on cultural figures whose work was cut short by Russian aggression..

The project, titled Invisible Pavilion, runs alongside the 61st edition of the Biennale, held from May 6 to November 22, 2026. Instead of a single exhibition space, it is spread throughout the city in the form of posters placed in public areas.

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Each poster resembles a standard cultural event announcement—advertising book launches, film screenings or poetry readings—but is marked with the word “CANCELLED.” The explanation is the same across all posters, stating that the author was killed by Russia.

Poster from the "Invisible Pavilion" campaign depicts children’s author Volodymyr Vakulenko. (Source: press office)
Poster from the "Invisible Pavilion" campaign depicts children’s author Volodymyr Vakulenko. (Source: press office)
Poster from the "Invisible Pavilion" campaign shows poet Nika Kozhushko. (Source: press office)
Poster from the "Invisible Pavilion" campaign shows poet Nika Kozhushko. (Source: press office)

Those featured include Ukrainian writer Victoria Amelina, poet Nika Kozhushko, children’s author Volodymyr Vakulenko and filmmaker Ihor Malakhov. The posters present events that will not take place—such as book discussions or screenings—accompanied by notes stating that the individuals were killed during the war.

Each poster also includes a QR code linking to an online platform documenting Ukrainian artists and cultural figures who have died since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion.

Poster from the "Invisible Pavilion" campaign illustrates writer Victoria Amelina. (Source: press office)
Poster from the "Invisible Pavilion" campaign illustrates writer Victoria Amelina. (Source: press office)
Poster from the "Invisible Pavilion" campaign portrays filmmaker Ihor Malakhov. (Source: press office)
Poster from the "Invisible Pavilion" campaign portrays filmmaker Ihor Malakhov. (Source: press office)

This initiative coincides with Russia's effort to maintain its cultural presence in Venice. On March 3, a senior cultural envoy for Russian leader Vladimir Putin Mikhail Shvydkoi announced that the Russian pavilion is scheduled to open in May 2026, stating that “Russia never left the Venice Biennale.”

“The very presence of our pavilion—regardless of what takes place there, whether exhibitions by our Latin American friends or the hosting of an educational centre for the entire Biennale—means the presence of our country in Venice's cultural space. Therefore, since we have not gone anywhere, we are not ‘returning’. We are simply seeking new forms of creative activity in the current circumstances,” he said.

However, this push has faced diplomatic resistance, as Latvia has declared Mikhail Shvydkoy, Anastasia Karneeva, and Ekaterina Vinokurova persona non grata and banned indefinitely. Latvia’s Foreign Ministry said the three are linked to Russia’s presence at the Biennale. Shvydkoy has been a key proponent of Russia’s participation.

Karneeva, the newly appointed commissioner of the Russian pavilion, is the daughter of a senior Rostec executive and a former FSB general. Vinokurova, daughter of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, works in the art sector as director of Christie’s Russia and co-founder of Smart Art, the official organizer of the Russian pavilion.

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