The Venice Biennale opens without a jury amid protests

The 61st Venice Biennale opened to the public in Italy. It opened without a jury. The jury had quit in protest of the participation of Israel and of Russia. Loud protests were held outside their pavilions.

The day before the public opening, pavilions closed after artists went on strike. The strike protested Israel's entry. It was organized by the Art Not Genocide Alliance over Israel's role in the Gaza war. A strike by artists, in this setting, means participants refused to carry on with the exhibition as planned.

The Venice Biennale is a large international art exhibition built around national pavilions. Exhibits from over 100 countries were on display, including Belgium. Opening to the public means visitors could enter, even though the prize jury was gone. Protests outside the Israeli and Russian pavilions were part of the opening day as reported.

The jury's resignation had begun as a break ahead of the show. By the opening, the stated reasons for the quit included both Israel and Russia. The artist strike is a further action, aimed at Israel's participation and linked by its organizers to the war in Gaza. The report does not say how many pavilions closed or how long the strike would last.

A biennale can open its doors and still be in dispute over who should be exhibited. That is the situation described here. More than 100 countries have work in the show. The absence of a jury means the usual prizes are not being judged by the panel that resigned. The protests are outside the pavilions of the two countries named.

The 61st Venice Biennale is open, and it is open without a jury. Artists struck and pavilions closed over Israel's participation, in an action tied by organizers to the Gaza war. Protesters gathered at the Israeli and Russian pavilions. The public opening was on May 9.