‘Death in Venice’: Latvia’s Venice Biennale Pavilion Protests Russia’s Return

As Russia returns to Venice Biennale 2026, Latvia’s pavilion launches “Death in Venice” – a protest campaign accusing Biennale of hypocrisy and moral collapse. Make us preferred on Google Share Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Bluesky Email Copy Copied Artwork created by Latvian artists for distribution at the Venice Biennale. (Photo by lcca.lv) Content Share Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Bluesky Email Copy Copied Flip Make us preferred on Google The Latvian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale 2026 will open on May 8 with the exhibition “Untamed Assembly: Backstage of Utopia” – but this year, the project arrives under the shadow of one of the most controversial decisions in the Biennale’s recent history: allowing Russia to participate for the first time since the start of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. In response, the pavilion’s curators, artists, and organizers have launched an international protest campaign titled “Death in Venice,” calling on visitors, artists, and the broader cultural community to publicly oppose Russia’s presence at the world’s most influential contemporary art exhibition. Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official . “The participation of the aggressor state normalizes its actions at a time when Ukrainian cultural heritage is being deliberately destroyed and lives are being lost,” the Latvian Pavilion team said in a statement. The campaign centers around a protest visual created by Latvian artist Krišs Salmanis during a workshop organized by the Latvian Center for Contemporary Art. The freely downloadable design transforms the iconic Venice Biennale logo into a political symbol: the familiar motif of Venetian ramparts morphs into the wall of the Kremlin. According to the organizers, the altered image highlights what they describe as Venice’s accommodation of Russia and “the betrayal of the idea of European unity.” In the redesigned emblem, the Biennale’s traditional red color becomes “a reminder of blood, violence, and the price paid by those whose reality this institutional neutrality chooses to ignore.” Other Topics of Interest Hegseth Grilled Over Zeroing Out Ukraine Aid in 2027 Budget Lawmakers from both parties pressed Hegseth over delayed funds and compared the situation to the 1930s and Nazi Germany’s expansion, warning that dictators rarely stop when appeased. The campaign’s title references “Death in Venice” by Thomas Mann – a literary meditation on decay, moral collapse, and the end of an era. Here, the reference is aimed directly at the Biennale itself. “The decision to accept Russia’s participation becomes a symbolic judgment on the Biennale as an institution,” the statement reads, accusing it of “hiding behind a mask of hypocrisy and institutional corruption while pretending not to see reality.” The controversy escalated further after the entire international jury of the 61st Venice Biennale reportedly resigned in protest. Ukrainian art manager Katya Taylor described the move as “unprecedented,” noting that jurors declared they would not consider artists representing states whose leaders are accused by the International Criminal Court (ICC) of crimes against humanity. “Apparently, dialogue with the aggressor became more important than dialogue with democratic societies suffering from this aggression,” Taylor said in a statement criticizing both Biennale organizers and Italian authorities for allowing Russia’s participation under the rhetoric of inclusivity and artistic neutrality. Taylor also echoed the Latvian Pavilion’s critique of the idea of “great art beyond politics.” “This decision becomes a symbolic verdict for the Biennale itself,” she wrote, arguing that the institution is “pretending not to see reality while hiding behind hypocrisy and institutional corruption.” Visitors attending the opening week in Venice – as well as those participating throughout the Biennale until Nov. 22 – are invited to join the campaign by printing or sharing Salmanis’s protest design on clothing, posters, and social media using the hashtags #biennalearte2026 and #deathinvenice2026. Myroslava Makarevych has more than 30 years of experience as a journalist and editor. She has worked for BBC Ukrainian Service; for a number of publishing houses in Ukraine, like HFS (ELLE Ukraine), Edipresse and Sanoma Media (Sensa.Ukraine editor-in-chief). She collaborates with various socio-political media including zn.ua; nv.ua. She is the author of 7 original fairy tale books for children, and 3 publicist books.