EU to suspend €2m contract with Venice Biennale if Russia takes part

The European Commission has said it will suspend a €2 million grant awarded to the Biennale Foundation if Russia participates in the 2026 art exhibition.

Source: Thomas Regnier, spokesperson for the European Commission, as reported by European Pravda

Details: The EU has warned that it will end its current grant support for the Venice Biennale if Russia takes part.

Quote: "The Commission condemns the decision by the Fondazione Biennale to allow Russia to participate in the 2026 Biennale art exhibition."

More details: Regnier explained that "culture in Europe should promote and safeguard democratic values" and "foster open dialogue, diversity and freedom of expression".

Quote: "These values are currently, in today's Russia, not honoured."

More details: The European Commission condemns the decision to reopen the Russian pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale.

Quote: "Now, what is at stake? The Commission supports the Fondazione Biennale. We have an ongoing project of €2 million that is supporting film producers extended in virtual reality. This project is ongoing, and indeed, if there is a breach of the contract, like we have with any grant agreement, the Commission will terminate or suspend the contract."

Background:

• More than two dozen countries have signed a statement protesting against Russia's participation in the Venice Biennale.
• The statement was signed by the culture and foreign ministers of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden and Ukraine.
• In a statement on 10 March 2026, Henna Virkkunen, European Commission Executive Vice-President, and Glenn Micallef, Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport, warned that the EU Commission could suspend EU grant funding for the Venice Biennale if Russia is allowed to reopen its pavilion at this year's exhibition.
• Ukraine has called on the organisers of the Venice Biennale to reconsider their decision on Russia's participation and to maintain the principled position demonstrated in 2022-24.
• It was reported earlier that Russia will reopen its pavilion this year and take part in the Venice Biennale for the first time since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

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