Overview
- A 24-hour walkout on Friday led to partial or full closures at more than 15 national pavilions, with some tallies reporting over two dozen, as artists and workers halted shows during preview week.
- The action, organized by the Art Not Genocide Alliance with support from Italian unions, protested Israel’s participation and called out precarious cultural-sector jobs, with rallies planned on Via Garibaldi in Venice.
- Visitors encountered shuttered doors and altered works, including darkened installations and added protest signage, while some teams kept spaces open but paused performances or sound elements.
- Organizers said the strike does not involve Biennale staff and pledged to keep operations lawful and orderly, as the central exhibition In Minor Keys opened for previews under the late Koyo Kouoh’s curatorial team.
- Under pressure from EU sanctions warnings and a threatened €2 million grant suspension, the Biennale limited Russia’s pavilion to press-preview access and will keep it closed to the public during the main run, and the jury’s resignation over ICC concerns prompted a switch to visitor-voted prizes to be announced November 22.