This Is Turning Into One Very Contentious Biennale
Newser • • entertainment
Key Points:
- Over 100 artists participating in the Venice Biennale are threatening legal action after their names were included without consent on a public ballot for "Visitors' Lions" awards, created following the official jury's resignation.
- The original jury quit in protest over honoring artists from countries under investigation by the International Criminal Court, leading to the creation of the public vote, which artists say they never agreed to.
- Biennale officials maintain that keeping all names on the ballot supports freedom of expression but admit votes for artists who opted out will not be counted, a stance critics call misleading to visitors.
- Artists from multiple countries, including Austria, Britain, France, Italy, Ukraine, Iceland, Norway, and Denmark, have publicly opposed the ballot inclusion, emphasizing they did not consent to participation in the public vote.
- The controversy follows protests and turmoil sparked by the original jury's decision to sideline artists from Israel and Russia, highlighting ongoing tensions at the event.