Venice and Moscow - how the Biennale is bringing Russia back despite sanctions

Internal communication reveals a picture that does not match the official statements. The leadership of the Venice Biennale appears to have actively worked to enable Russian participants to enter despite existing restrictions. At the center are President Pietrangelo Buttafuoco and General Director Andrea Del Mercato. Both are said to have personally pushed to ensure that Russian curator Pyotr Musoyev could travel to Venice.

The starting point was a request from Anastasia Karneeva, commissioner of the Russian pavilion. Without an official invitation, she made clear, Russian citizens would not receive visas from the Italian side. On November 25, Del Mercato responded and signaled that such an invitation would be issued. At the same time, he pointed to support from the Italian embassy in Moscow. Federico Palmieri is said to have assured that Musoyev could appear at the visa center without an appointment and that every effort would be made to secure a multiple entry visa. Restrictions stemming from new EU rules were mentioned, but apparently did not change the course of action.

“The present letter shows how concretely the support was organized. General Director Andrea Del Mercato confirms that an official invitation would be sent both to the Italian embassy and directly to Pyotr Musoyev. At the same time, he refers to close coordination with the consulate and embassy in Moscow and highlights a ‘maximum willingness and attention’ on the part of the authorities. Particularly sensitive are the practical steps: Musoyev was to present himself at the visa center without prior appointment, significantly accelerating the process. He was also assured that his documents would be handled with priority. The issuance of a multiple entry visa was actively supported, even though it is explicitly acknowledged that new EU decisions had already limited the scope for this.

The letter makes clear that this was not a formal forwarding of applications, but targeted assistance to bypass or at least soften existing hurdles. Officially, the Biennale states that the Italian government was informed early. However, sources within the government say that Ambassador Stefano Beltrame was only informed about Russia’s return in February. By that point, the public announcement was already difficult to stop.”

At the same time, a concept was developed to formally limit Russia’s presence. The pavilion is to be physically accessible only from May 5 to May 8. After that, the exhibition will be shown only via outward facing screens, so visitors do not have to enter the building. Russian artists will travel only for those few days to record an audio work titled “The tree takes root in the sky,” which will then be played continuously.

Members of the European Parliament are calling on the EU to withdraw funding for the Venice Biennale because of Russia’s participation.

The Biennale rejects all accusations and speaks of full compliance with the rules. The political reaction is nonetheless clear. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has publicly opposed Russia’s return. The European Commission announced it would cut financial support by two million euros. The jury is also drawing consequences. Works from countries whose political leadership has been accused by the International Criminal Court are to be excluded. This affects Russia as well as Israel.

Russia had not been represented since 2021. In 2022, Kirill Savchenkov and Alexandra Sukhareva refused to participate in protest against the war. In 2024, the pavilion was assigned to Bolivia. That Russia is now returning is no coincidence. Pietrangelo Buttafuoco himself described the move as a form of foreign policy and spoke of a “real ceasefire.” What appears to be cultural openness turns out, on closer inspection, to be a politically managed process. The line between exhibition and influence in Venice has long been crossed.