Venice Biennale Braces for 24-Hour Strike Over Israel Presence

An unprecedented 24-hour strike will interrupt the Venice Biennale’s opening week to protest Israel’s participation, highlighting long-running tensions over which nations should be represented and the political role of art. Organized by the Art Not Genocide Alliance (ANGA) and signed by hundreds of artists, curators, and workers, the action puts pavilion teams in a bind—some, like Slovenia’s, plan to dim installations and stream Palestinian radio, while others weigh the strike against the event’s visibility. The Biennale says it will not coordinate the protest and will proceed with its program, though critics view it as a governance crisis. Protests have already occurred outside Israel’s and Russia’s pavilions, with Pussy Riot drawing further attention to Russia’s return to Venice.