The ministers of culture and foreign affairs of 22 countries have signed a joint protest against Russia’s participation in the LXI International Art Exhibition in Venice. The ministers called on the organizers of the Venice Biennale to reconsider this decision.
On behalf of Poland, the letter was also signed by Poland’s Minister of Culture and National Heritage, Marta Ciężkowska.
“The Ministry of Culture and National Heritage firmly opposes the participation of the Russian Federation in this year’s Venice Biennale. Such a prestigious international event cannot serve as a platform for building the ‘soft power’ of a state that has chosen to demonstrate its strength through armed aggression,” the Polish ministry stated.
The ministry also highlighted Ciężkowska’s words: “An artist who serves a criminal becomes an accomplice in their crime.”
“Especially we, the Polish people, have a duty to protest any presence of representatives of a criminal state in venues that, by their authority, could legitimize their unlawful activities. That is why I did not hesitate today to sign the appeal of 22 ministers of culture and foreign affairs, calling for the exclusion of the Russian Federation from the LXI International Art Exhibition in Venice,” the ministry quoted Ciężkowska as saying.
The joint protest was signed by representatives of the highest authorities of 22 countries, including Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Spain, Ireland, Lithuania, Latvia (the initiator of the protest), Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, and Ukraine. The letter was addressed to the Biennale President, Pietrangelo Buttafuoco, and the Biennale Board, and was also brought to the attention of Italy’s Minister of Culture, Alessandro Giuli.
The ministers emphasized that for more than a century, the Venice Biennale has been the most important platform for creative freedom and cultural exchange. However, cultural institutions must not only be centers of significance and prestige for art but also bear moral responsibility.
“Culture became one of the first and primary targets of Russia’s attacks on Ukraine. It was targeted because it is the foundation of identity and community, especially at the state level. Culture does not exist on the periphery of international politics—it is its axis and its reason, and therefore cannot remain indifferent,” the Polish ministry stated.
