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EU Threatens to Cut Venice Biennale Funding Over Russia Pavilion Return
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The European Commission has threatened to halt funding for the Venice Biennale after organizers allowed Russia to reopen its national pavilion, according to Babel on March 10.
Babel reported that European Commission Executive Vice President Henna Virkkunen and Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport Glenn Micallef issued the warning in a joint statement.
They condemned the Biennale Foundation’s decision to admit Russia to this year’s exhibition for the first time since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
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“The European Commission has clearly expressed its position on Russia’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine,” the statement read.
“Culture promotes and defends democratic values, fosters open dialogue, diversity, and freedom of expression, and should never be used as a platform for propaganda.”
The officials described the move as incompatible with the European Union’s collective response to Russian aggression.
They warned that if the Biennale Foundation does not reverse the decision, the Commission will consider further steps, including suspending or ending its grant support.
The Venice Biennale is one of the world’s leading contemporary art exhibitions and takes place every two years in Venice. Russia’s participation was canceled on February 27, 2022, days after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Yet, Ukrainian officials urged the Venice Biennale to reverse Russia’s planned return, saying the festival must not become a platform to normalize aggression or legitimize war crimes through cultural prestige.
They argued Russia was using international cultural events to “whitewash” the war, pointing in part to reported links between Anastasia Karneeva, the commissioner of the Russian pavilion, and Russia’s military-industrial complex, which they described as further evidence that the pavilion could serve state propaganda rather than cultural exchange.
Ukraine called on organizers and partners to maintain restrictions and uphold cultural solidarity, warning that reintegration without accountability risks undermining the Biennale’s values and Europe’s broader response to Russia’s invasion.
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