Venice Biennale wants to return EU grant after Russia scandal

The Venice Biennale is set to appeal the European Union’s decision to withdraw a €2 million grant over Russia’s return to the 2026 exhibition.

Reuters reports this.

The organizers stated that they were not surprised by this decision of the European Executive Agency for Education and Culture (EACEA). At the same time, they assured that they would defend their position and appeal to all instances where they could appeal this decision.

The controversy surrounding the Biennale erupted back in March, when it was announced that the Russian pavilion would reopen. This will be Russia’s first participation in the Venice Biennale since the start of a full-scale war against Ukraine.

Russia’s return has sparked a wave of criticism. The Italian government has publicly condemned the decision, and the European Commission has warned that it may cut off funding if the Russian pavilion is opened.

Venice Biennale President Pietrangelo Buttafuoco supported Russia’s participation, saying the festival should remain a place for dialogue and coexistence of different cultures, not a platform for censorship.

The biennale, in turn, emphasizes that the withdrawn grant concerned exclusively film projects. They believe that the funding is not related to the decision to allow Russia to participate in the exhibition, so this is what they will base their position on during the appeal.

As a reminder, the European Union suspended funding for the Venice Biennale after the organizers decided to return the Russian pavilion to the exhibition.