Venice Biennale artists demand names removed from visitors’ ballot and threaten lawsuit

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MILAN (AP) — Dozens of artists in this year’s Venice Biennale contemporary art show are threatening legal action if their names are not removed from the ballot allowing visitors to vote for the best national pavilion and overall participants in the absence of a jury to award the prestigious Golden Lions.

The Venice Biennale opened its most chaotic and contested edition in recent memory on May 9, with the prestigious Golden Lion yanked from contention after the jury quit in protest of Israel’s and Russia’s participation. The week of previews leading up to the public opening was characterized by loud protests outside the Israeli and Russian pavilions.

Instead of jury awards, the Biennale announced voting by visitors to the two main venues, the Giardini and the Arsenale, for two awards recognizing the best national pavilion and best participant in the main show, titled “In Minor Keys,” curated according to a plan by the late Koyo Kouoh. The awards are to be made public on the Biennale's closing day, Nov. 22.

The protest letter made public on Wednesday said that the voting process “lacked transparency and accountability,” and complained that the Biennale had not responded to the artists' first request to remove their names, made on May 20. It was also signed by curators and commissioners.

The artists said that they were beginning steps toward legal action.

In response to a request for comment, the Biennale furnished a May 28 letter to the artists, curators and commissioners saying that they would keep all of the names on the ballot “to guarantee all visitors have the freedom of expression,” but said none of the signatories would be considered for the prizes.

The protest letter called the procedure “a waste of time” by asking visitors “to cast votes that cannot be counted.”

The jury in its resignation announcement singled out Russia and Israel, citing investigations by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity in the wars in Ukraine and Gaza.

Signatories seeking to be removed from visitor prize contention include some 70 artists participating in the main show and nearly 40 national pavilions, including those of Iceland, Norway and Denmark, which have led the call to have Russia barred from returning to the Biennale for the first time since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

They also include Austrian artist Florentina Holzinger, whose exhibition features recycled waste water from portable toilets outside the Austrian Pavilion, has been one of the most popular of the Biennale.