In an exclusive interview with the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, Venice Biennale Foundation President Pietrangelo Buttafuoco defended the decision to include Russia in this year’s 61st Venice Biennale, despite objections from the Italian Culture Ministry and the European Commission.
The Venice Biennale Foundation drew intense criticism, boycott calls, and a widely shared open letter demanding a reversal after announcing in March that Russia would return to its pavilion for the 61st edition amid the ongoing invasion of Ukraine. At the time, the Biennale administration said it “rejects any form of exclusion or censorship of culture and art.”
Buttafuoco told Corriere della Sera that he would do “everything” again if he had to, adding that his handling of the pavilion was “more than fair and proper to the institution [he] preside[s] over” and that there was “not a single comma that violates laws and regulations.”
Italian Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli had requested that the Venice Biennale Foundation submit all correspondence with the Russian Federation in order to assess whether the pavilion installation was compatible with the European Union’s sanctions regime. The European Commission also criticized Russia’s inclusion and threatened to freeze the Foundation’s €2 million (~$2.3 million) culture grant over the decision.
In April, the Biennale’s award jury said it intended to exclude Russia and Israel from Golden Lion consideration, while Giuli announced that he planned to skip the Biennale’s preview dates because of Russia’s participation. Before the event opened, it was revealed that Buttafuoco and the Foundation’s administrators had been working with the Russian pavilion curator as early as June 2025 to ensure the country’s participation complied with the rules. In the end, the pavilion remained closed to the public for the duration of the Biennale after the vernissage dates.
