Italy’s Culture Minister, Alessandro Giuli, has requested the resignation of Tamara Gregoretti from her position on the board of directors of the Venice Biennale, citing a breakdown in trust. The Ministry of Culture announced the move on Thursday, March 12, 2026. The Biennale, a major international art exhibition, has become the center of a political dispute over potential Russian participation.
According to the Ministry, Gregoretti, who was appointed to the board on March 13, 2024, failed to inform officials about the possible presence of the Russian Federation at the upcoming Biennale and subsequently expressed support for their participation despite the international sensitivity surrounding the issue. The decision underscores growing tensions regarding Russia’s role in international cultural events amid ongoing geopolitical concerns.
Gregoretti, yet, has resisted calls to step down. “I am serene and have no intention of resigning,” she stated, “as I am certain I am acting in compliance with the Statute of the Venice Biennale and the autonomy of the institution, according to which the members of the Board of Directors do not represent those who appointed them, nor are they accountable to them (Legislative Decree 19/98, article 7, paragraph 2).”
Magi: ‘The government’s embarrassment at the Biennale is a work of art’
The controversy has drawn criticism from opposition figures. Riccardo Magi, secretary of +Europa, described the situation as “the embarrassment that the government is causing Italy and one of its jewels, the Venice Biennale, represents, to stay on topic, a work of art, a true masterpiece made in Meloni, to be admired and contemplated, just to not be like them.”
Magi further alleged that the president of the Biennale Foundation, Pietrangelo Buttafuoco, appointed by a former minister, is attempting to accommodate Russia and risks jeopardizing European funding for the event. “Despite the protests of Minister Giuli, the pro-Putin sentiment is returning in the majority, starting with Deputy Prime Minister Salvini,” Magi added. He warned that if Italy loses European funds for the Biennale, the blame would lie with Prime Minister Meloni and her appointees.
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