Overview
- The European Commission, which sent a second letter on Tuesday, asked Italy and the Biennale to explain possible breaches of sanctions under articles 5t and 5n and warned it could suspend or revoke the €2 million co‑funding.
- An inspection report from Italy’s Culture Ministry records the Biennale’s position that Russia was not formally invited, that sanction checks were carried out, and that the pavilion must remain closed to the public under current authorizations.
- The international jury resigned after vowing to exclude countries whose leaders face ICC accusations, and the Biennale created visitor‑voted “Leoni dei Visitatori” and postponed official prizes to November 22.
- The Biennale set a private vernissage from May 5 to May 8 for the Russian performance and said only exterior screens will be viewable during the public run starting May 9.
- The inspectors also noted gaps in procedures for national pavilions, highlighting that states own and run their buildings, which limits the Foundation’s direct control and complicates sanction compliance.