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Anish Kapoor says the US should be excluded from the group Venice Biennale because of the country’s “hostile politics” and its “constant incitement to war”.
Artist, who represented Britain in the 1990 editiontold the Guardian that he appreciated the decision of the biennale’s judges to step down just days before the event, which is called the “Olympics of Art”, in protest. on the integration of Israel and Russia.
However, Mr Kapoor said five judges from around the world should include the US in their bid to withdraw from the award, which will be delayed until November.
He called the decision to resign “courageous”, but added that “I believe he would have once again isolated the United States because of his dirty politics of hatred and constant mobilization.”
The US entry to the biennale, Alma Allen – an artist that few people in the art world knew before she was selected – met them. a lot of scrutiny because of the Trump administration’s interference in his election.
The US artist’s announcement was delayed by the longest government shutdown in the country’s history, with several other artists reportedly he declined the offer. Entrants were told that the project should “highlight and promote American culture”.
The curator of the US gallery, Jeffrey Uslip, defended Allen’s entry, which is called Call Me the Breeze and consists of about 30 sculptures or biomorphic figures, all called Not Yet Titled.
“Many people expect political or political work to be seen in a certain way,” he told the Guardian. “I want the same people to tell me about Noguchi’s biomorphic unclear sculpture it had nothing to do with the second world war.
“When they see (Allen’s) green Guatemalan quartzite in the yard, it’s like a person, it’s a bag shape. It wants people to look at it and not just say: ‘Oh, this is fantasy, so it can’t be political.’
Allen, who was homeless for a while and started making sculptures while living in New York City where he worked as an architect, said his art “represents the experiences I’ve had in my life”.
“My life has gone this way,” he previously said. “There are moments of opportunity and moments of adversity. And sometimes they happen at the same time.”
The US pavilion is far from the only place at the 61st biennale, where politics also threatens to overshadow what is happening around Israel and Russia.
More than 200 participants in the event signed a petition, organized by the Art Not Genocide Alliance (Anga), demanding the removal of the Israeli building, which was called “refusing to allow you to create the state of Israel while it is committing genocide“.
A strike has been planned by Anga for Friday which may cause the event, which is being held this week, to be called off. The Israeli Foreign Ministry has criticized Anga, calling his actions “anti-Israeli politics” and “direct discrimination”.
On Monday, Italy’s Ministry of Culture confirmed that the Russian theater will not be open to the public, although the art installation will be visible through the window.
After Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, the biennale protested and banned anyone connected to the Kremlin. It is not legally prohibited Russia participation, but the country did not participate in the 2022 and 2024 editions.
The Italian government has disagreed with the organizers of the restoration in Russia, saying that the decision was made “in vain by the Biennale Foundation, despite the opposition of the Italian government”.
Last week, the European Commission wrote to the Biennale Foundation to say this planned to terminate or suspend its €2m (£1.73m) grant. because of Russian intervention.
Kapoor, who has an exhibition in Venice, previously threatened to take action against the Trump administration after border guards posed for photos in front of his Cloud Gate sculpture in Chicago.
He said the incident represented “fascist America“, while the artist has previously faced charges against the National Rifle Association after using the Cloud Gate image.
