Venice Biennale faces legal threat from 100+ artists over awards dispute

More than 100 artists participating in the 61st Venice Biennale have accused organisers of ignoring repeated requests to remove them from visitor-voted awards and have threatened legal action over the dispute. According to The Art Newspaper, artists from the Biennale's In Minor Keys exhibition and various national pavilions posted a statement on e-flux on 3 June expressing disappointment that the Biennale had failed to act on their concerns.

The legal threat marks an escalation in tensions at an exhibition already marked by political controversy. Earlier in June, Pussy Riot and FEMEN activists protested Russia's return to the Biennale after its absence following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, chanting and releasing coloured smoke bombs in front of the Russian pavilion, according to Newser. The group later released a music video titled DISOBEY as part of their protest campaign, Artnet News reported.

The artists' complaint centres on a structural problem: the Biennale's inclusion of their work in visitor-voted prizes without their consent or ability to opt out. The dispute reflects broader questions about consent, curation and the role of public participation in art world governance—issues that have become more acute as major exhibitions attempt to democratise their selection processes.