'Enjoy the show. Ignore the war': Venice Biennale faces backlash after including Russia
Key takeaways
- As security guards rushed to close the glass doors, the protesters set off smoke flares and punched the air with screams of "Russia kills!
- One poster declared: "Curated by Putin, dead bodies included."
- "It's not just tanks and drones, murder and rape in Ukraine.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Sarah Rainsford Southern and Eastern Europe correspondent, Venice BBCPussy Riot and FEMEN have protested at this year's Vennice Biennale over Russia's return to the arts fair The Russian punk protest group Pussy Riot and Femen, founded in Ukraine, have staged a striking joint protest at this year's Venice Biennale, as Russia returns to the prestigious arts fair for the first time since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The activists swarmed through the gardens of the Biennale – often described as the 'Olympics' of the arts – to yell their protest outside the Russian national pavilion, dressed all in black but for their fluorescent pink balaclavas.
As security guards rushed to close the glass doors, the protesters set off smoke flares and punched the air with screams of "Russia kills! Biennale exhibits!".