Overview
- Protesters led by Pussy Riot and FEMEN blocked access to the Russian Pavilion on Wednesday, with police holding the entrance for about 30 minutes in the Giardini.
- The Russian Pavilion is open only during this week’s previews, with the public limited to outdoor video projections for the six-month run under sanctions-related constraints and legal limits on evicting a pavilion Russia has owned since 1914.
- The five-member jury resigned on April 30 after saying they would not consider countries whose leaders face International Criminal Court warrants, prompting organizers to scrap the Golden and Silver Lions in favor of visitor-voted “Visitor Lions” to be awarded on November 22.
- Iran withdrew on Monday with no explanation, dropping national participants to about 100 countries as the exhibition prepares to open to the public on May 9.
- The European Commission moved to cut roughly €2 million in future funding over Russia’s participation, and preview week has drawn Ukrainian and Palestinian protests that are reshaping how artists and visitors experience the event.