The president of the Venice Biennale, Pietrangelo Buttafuoco, has defended his decision to include Russia at the event this year, saying that “Putin didn’t win; art won”.
The 61st edition of the Biennale, which opened in May, has been tumultuous with both Israel’s and Russia’s participation sparking protests. Italy’s culture minister, Alessandro Giuli, boycotted the Biennale opening, stating that “Putin had won at the Biennale”.
But in an interview with the Italian newspaper, Corriere della Sera, published on 1 September Buttafuoco says that “the Biennale won—not through me personally, but through the history of an institution that looks out at the world and, over its 131 years, even during numerous conflicts, has always welcomed everyone.”
Russia’s show in its Giardini pavilion closed following the previews amid warnings from the European Union (EU) that the Biennale could be breaching EU sanctions by facilitating Russia’s participation. In July, the EU formally cut its €2m grant to the Biennale.
At a conference on 6 May, Buttafuoco said that calls to ban countries from the Biennale would go against its mission to be “the place where the world comes together”.
In the interview with Corriere della Sera, Buttafuoco is asked: “Would you do it all over again, [in terms of the] clash with the government and the European Commission?” He responds “Everything [again]. It was more than right and proper regarding the institution I preside over. In all formal and official documents, there isn’t a single comma that runs counter to laws and regulations."
Buttafuoco adds: “The EU’s contradiction lies in denying freedom of expression based on a specific nationality. It is unheard of, given the principles enshrined in every charter of rights.” The EU was contacted for comment.
During the interview Buttafuoco also listed recent projects launched by the Biennale including a reissuing of the quarterly historic Venice Biennale magazine, which is largely drawn from material in the historical archive of La Biennale, and a new podcast called Biennale on Air.