Overview
- Art Not Genocide Alliance published a letter signed by 178 participating artists, curators, and art workers calling for Israel to be barred from the 2026 exhibition.
- Signatories include Alfredo Jaar, Yto Barrada, Sophia Al-Maria, Meriem Bennani, and curatorial figure Gabe Beckhurst Feijoo, with representatives from about 25 national pavilions and some anonymous due to safety concerns.
- The Biennale says it rejects exclusion and censorship and has accommodated Israel in a temporary Arsenale space, where Haifa-based artist Belu-Simion Fainaru is set to represent the country.
- The push builds on ANGA’s 2024 campaign, after which Israeli artist Ruth Patir kept the pavilion closed, prompting the Israeli government to add a 2026 contract clause requiring the pavilion to remain open.
- ANGA objects to the Arsenale arrangement and warns of boycotts, as separate pressure mounts over Russia’s return with the EU threatening to pull funding and Italy’s culture ministry weighing in.