Venice Biennale jury quits amid row over participation of Russia

The jury of the Venice Biennale has quit just days before the prestigious art exhibition is due to begin, amid a row over the decision to allow Russia to participate. The resignation of the five-member international jury was announced late on Thursday in a brief statement by the Venice Biennale organisers, and came a day after the Italian culture ministry sent inspectors to Venice in search of information about the decision to allow Russia to have a pavilion at the event. After the resignations, the biennale said it had “decided that the award ceremony of the 61st international art exhibition, previously scheduled for 9 May, will take place on Sunday, 22 November”. It also said it would hand out two awards, one of which could go to any one of the “national participations included in the 61st Exhibition, as per the official list, following the principle of inclusion and equal treatment”. “This is consistent with the founding spirit of La Biennale, based on openness, dialogue, and the rejection of any form of closure or censorship,” it said in a statement. “La Biennale seeks to be, and must remain, a place of truce in the name of art, culture, and artistic freedom.” Last week, the jury said it would not give awards to artists from countries whose leaders were facing charges of crimes against humanity by the international criminal court, a decision apparently aimed at Russia and Israel . …