Israel plans return to Venice Biennale

Israel will take part in the 2026 Venice Biennale, confirming its return to the world’s most prominent contemporary art exhibition after its national pavillion was closed during the 2024 event amid protests.

According to ARTnews, Israeli cultural officials have confirmed that the country will participate in the 61st edition of the Biennale, which opens in May 2026. Israel’s permanent pavillion in the Giardini remains under renovation, meaning the national presentation is expected to be staged instead in the Arsenale precinct, where many countries exhibit.

The artist selected to represent Israel is Haifa-based sculptor Belu-Simion Fainaru, a recipient of the Israel Prize. According to Israeli arts reporting, his work will take the form of a large-scale installation drawing on literary and philosophical sources, with water as a central element.

Preparations for Israel’s participation had been uncertain earlier this year amid budget delays and internal debate within the Israeli arts community, but those issues now appear to have been resolved.

News of Israel’s return has prompted renewed calls for a boycott from international activist groups, echoing protests seen during the 2024 Biennale. Some artists and organisations have again argued that Israel should be excluded because of the situation in Gaza.

At the previous Venice Biennale, Israel’s official pavillion did not open to the public, becoming one of the most talked-about flashpoints of the exhibition.

The Israeli pavillion at the Venice Biennale was due to present a work by Israeli artist Ruth Patir. However, shortly before the Biennale opened in April 2024, Patir and her curatorial team announced they would keep the pavillion closed until a ceasefire was reached in Gaza and Israeli hostages held by Hamas were released.

Instead of an exhibition, visitors encountered a locked pavillion with a sign explaining the decision. The move followed the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel and the subsequent war in Gaza and came amid growing international protests, petitions, and calls from some artists to boycott or exclude Israel from the Biennale altogether.

Israel’s organisers described the closure as the artist’s choice rather than a decision by the Biennale itself. Biennale organisers allowed the pavillion to remain formally listed but confirmed it would not be forced open. Other national pavillions proceeded as planned, though demonstrations and political statements continued throughout the opening weeks.

Organisers of the Venice Biennale have consistently maintained that national pavillions are not excluded on political grounds and that the exhibition is intended to remain open to all participating countries.

The 2026 Biennale is scheduled to run from May to November and will include national presentations across Venice, including the Giardini and the Arsenale.