The European Union definitively cancelled a two million euro grant for the Venice Biennale on Tuesday, July 21, due to Russia's participation in this major contemporary art event. This funding had already been suspended earlier in the year, before the European Commission confirmed the complete withdrawal of the funds.
Democratic values not respected, according to Brussels
According to Thomas Regnier, spokesperson for the European Commission, the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency followed the Commission's legal opinion and recommendation in making this decision. He specified that cultural events funded by European taxpayers should uphold democratic values and promote dialogue, diversity, and freedom of expression—principles that are not currently respected in Russia.
The grant initially planned for the period 2025-2028 had been subject to a withdrawal procedure initiated in April, after the announcement by the president of the Biennale, Pietrangelo Buttafuoco, of the reopening of the Russian pavilion for this 2026 edition.
Russia's controversial return after two editions of absence
The Biennale had banned any participation linked to the Russian government in 2022, as a sign of protest against the invasion of Ukraine , an absence maintained at the 2024 edition. The Russian pavilion, owned by the Russian state, is hosting this year the participatory project The Tree Is Rooted in the Sky, created by some fifty artists selected by the Moscow authorities, a space that remained closed to the public but made visible from the outside by a giant screen.
This reopening has sparked strong protests from Ukraine, as well as from artists, curators, and cultural professionals worldwide, who accuse Moscow of using its presence at the Biennale as a tool for cultural propaganda. The Italian League party, a member of Giorgia Meloni 's governing coalition , has also expressed its opposition to Brussels' decision.
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