MILAN (AP) — Thousands of artists, curators and critics have signed an open letter calling on the Venice Biennale to exclude the Israeli national pavilion from this year's contemporary art fair because of the war in Gaza, but Italy's culture minister strongly supported Israel's participation.
The letter had been signed online by more than 17,000 people as of Wednesday, including current and former Biennale participants as well as winners of the Turner Prize, an annual award given to a British visual artist.
Italian Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano expressed solidarity with Israel in a statement on Tuesday, saying that it “not only has the right to express its art, but it has the duty to bear witness to its people precisely at the moment when it was hit hard by ruthless terrorists.” “
Israeli Culture Minister Miki Zohar confirmed Israel's participation and thanked Sangiuliano for his “strong and professional support.”
“Art is a bridge between cultures and between peoples – and we will continue to stand firmly against attempts to boycott Israel in international forums,” Zohar said in a statement.
The Biennale ruled out excluding Israel or Iran, the subject of the second petition, saying that any country recognized by the Italian government could request participation.
The letter, sent by a dedicated group called the Art Not Genocide Coalition, noted that the biennale discouraged South Africa's participation due to its apartheid state from 1950 to 1968, and imposed a ban after the US decision to suspend “exchanges with the world.” . The apartheid regime” until the end of apartheid. It also indicated the Biennale's support for Ukraine since the Russian invasion in 2022. Russian artists withdrew their participation in the 2022 edition, and the Biennale said that Russia did not request participation in this year's edition.
“The Biennale has remained silent regarding the atrocities committed by Israel against the Palestinians,” the letter said. “We are appalled by this double standard.”
Signatories include 2023 Turner Prize winner Jesse Darling, who participated in the 2019 Biennial, as well as Faisal Saleh, director of the Palestine Museum in the United States, who said the proposed exhibition for this edition had been rejected.
Israel is among 88 national participants in the 60th Venice Biennale of Contemporary Art, which runs from April 20 to November. 24. The exhibition in the Israeli pavilion is titled “Motherland” by artist Ruth Batir.
Palestinian artists are participating in side events, and will appear in the main exhibition titled “Foreigners Everywhere,” curated by Adriano Pedrosa, artistic director of the São Paulo Museum of Art in Brazil.
___
Associated Press writer Julia Frankel in Jerusalem contributed.
