Featuring giant floral installations and various musical performances, Russia’s exhibit was one of the most politically explosive in years, drawing politicians, artists, dissidents and European institutions into an increasingly bitter clash over culture, propaganda and freedom of expression.
Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini personally visited the pavilion during the pre-opening days. “Art has no borders, no censorship, no gag,” he said. “Culture and sport should remain neutral spaces and places of encounter.”
But for critics of Russia’s participation, Russia’s display was less about artistic freedom than an attempt to regain international legitimacy after the country’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
“The presence of Russia at the Biennale is an attempt to normalize the war,” said Ksenia Malykh, curator of the Ukrainian pavilion, which had its central installation — a deer statue called “Security Guarantees” — installed within sight of the Russia’s building.
These concerns had already triggered a sharp political backlash long before the biennale opened its doors: In April, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas announced the European Commission intended to cut roughly €2 million in event funding over Russia’s participation, 25 European countries backed calls to exclude Russia from the exhibition, and the Italian government effectively boycotted the opening.
Russia’s soft power
The biennale is not the first or only place Russia is slowly reinstating its international presence. Over the past few months, global federations have begun readmitting Russian athletes into disciplines ranging from aquatics to gymnastics.