The final preparations are currently underway for the opening of the 60th edition of the Venice Biennale. Due to the war in Gaza, the question of whether Israel should participate has been a hot topic, sparking numerous protests, including the Art not Genocide Alliance (ANGA) initiative, which has demanded that the country be excluded from the Biennale, as well as the Bidoun projects platform, which will be hosting poetry readings on April 18 and 19 to raise awareness for Palestine.
On Tuesday morning, passersby outside the Israeli pavilion could read a posted note on the glass wall: “The artist and curators of the Israeli pavilion will open the exhibition when an agreement on ceasefire and hostage release has been reached.” The artist who put up this ultimatum is Ruth Patir, who was selected last September to represent Israel.
In a statement to the New York Times, Patir said, “I hate it, but I think it’s important.” Curators Tamar Margalit and Mira Lapidot reportedly did not inform the Israeli government, according to the same newspaper.
The tension surrounding Israel’s participation in the Venice Biennale adds an extra layer of complexity to the prestigious art event, with artists and curators taking a stand on the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Stay tuned for more updates as the Biennale unfolds.
