According to reports by Hyperallergic, Belu-Simion Fainaru, the artist representing Israel at the 2026 Venice Biennale, filed legal warnings after the Golden Lion jury announced it would not consider the pavilions of countries whose leaders are currently charged with crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court, including Israel and Russia, for the competition.
Fainaru reportedly issued legal threats to the Biennale, the Italian Ministry of Culture and the Italian Prime Minister’s office shortly before the Biennale jury resigned. The warnings apparently noted the artist’s intent to pursue legal action on the basis of alleged antisemitism and nationality-based discrimination.
In response to the jury’s resignation, the Biennale organisers postponed the awards ceremony to the closing day of the exhibition, 22 November, and replaced the Golden and Silver Lion awards with two ‘Visitors’ Lions’, voted for by Biennale visitors.
‘All National Participations included in the 61st Exhibition, as per the official list [which includes Russia and Israel], are eligible for the Visitors’ Lion for the Best National Participation, following the principle of inclusion and equal treatment among all Participants’, states the Biennale press release.
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