The Irish government has urged the Venice Biennale to reconsider allowing Russia to take part in the world-renowned festival.
Russia has not taken part in the art event since before the start of the Ukraine war.
Earlier this week, Ireland co-signed a letter along with more than 20 other European countries urging the festival organisers to uninvite Russia.
Now the European Commission has threatened to cut funding to the Biennale if it does not reconsider.
In the letter co-signed by Patrick O’Donovan TD, Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, the signatories said that the Venice Biennale was turning against European values.
“For more than a century, the Biennale di Venezia has stood as one of the world’s most prestigious expressions of artistic freedom.
“Granting Russia a prestigious international cultural platform sends a deeply troubling signal…We, the undersigned, therefore express our deep concern over the significant risk of an instrumentalization by the Russian Federation of its participation in the Biennale di Venezia, to project an image of legitimacy and international acceptance that stands in stark contrast to the reality of Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine and the destruction of Ukrainian cultural heritage, and European and international sanctions.”
The European Commission said it was contributing €2 million towards film and virtual reality linked to the festival.
An EU spokesperson said it was a “grey and specific area” whether the Venice Biennale was breaching its contract by inviting Russia since EU money required abiding by “ethical standards and EU rules”.
If we find there has been a breach, we will terminate or suspend the contract, the spokesperson added.
The letter criticising the festival was organised by Latvia and was signed by ministers from Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden and Ukraine.
The organisers of the Venice Biennale show no signs of backing down, reportedly standing by the principle that it will accept “pavilion applications from any nation recognised in Italy.”
The organisers also said that they reject “any form of exclusion or censorship of culture and art.”
But the pressure is mounting.
The European Commissioner for Culture, Glenn Micallef, and European Commissioner for Democracy, Henna Virkkunen, said in a joint statement yesterday:
“We strongly condemn the decision by the Fondazione Biennale to allow Russia to re-open its national pavilion at the 61st International Art Exhibition of the 2026 Venice Biennale.
The European Commission has been clear in its stance concerning Russia’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine. Culture promotes and safeguards democratic values, fosters open dialogue, diversity and freedom of expression, and should never be used as a platform for propaganda.
Member States, institutions and organisations must act in line with EU sanctions and avoid giving a platform to individuals who have actively supported or justified the Kremlin’s aggression against Ukraine.
This decision by the Fondazione Biennale is not compatible with the EU’s collective response to Russia’s brutal aggression. Should the Fondazione Biennale go forward with its decision to allow Russia’s participation, we will examine further action, including the suspension or termination of an ongoing EU grant to the Biennale Foundation.”
The Biennale is an international cultural exhibition. It has been organised every year since 1895.