The 61st Venice Biennale has lost its international jury days before its pre-opening—the sharpest flashpoint yet in a prolonged controversy over Israel and Russia’s participation in this year’s edition.

The five-member panel, chaired by Brazilian curator Solange Farkas, had previously announced on April 22 that it would “refrain from considering” nations whose leaders are subject to International Criminal Court arrest warrants—a pointed reference to Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu and Russia’s Vladimir Putin. 

On April 30, the jurors resigned en masse via e-flux, stating: “We, the international jury selected by Koyo Kouoh, artistic director of the 61st edition of La Biennale di Venezia ‘In Minor Keys,’ have resigned. We do so in acknowledgment of our Statement of Intention issued on April 22, 2026.”

It is unclear whether the jury was asked to step down by the Biennale Foundation. In a statement issued on the same day, Biennale organizers acknowledged the panel’s resignation and announced that the awards ceremony would be pushed back from May 9 to November 22, the final day of the show.

In the absence of a traditional jury, the Biennale introduced two “Visitors’ Lions,” opening the voting process to the public for the first time. “This is consistent with the founding spirit of La Biennale, based on openness, dialogue, and the rejection of any form of closure or censorship,” the Foundation said. “La Biennale seeks to be—and must remain—a place of truce in the name of art, culture, and artistic freedom.”

Michele Chan is managing editor of ArtAsiaPacific.