The international jury of the 2026 Venice Biennale collectively resigned two weeks before the opening due to controversies over the participation of Russia and Israel. Jury members had decided not to award countries accused of crimes against humanity but did not prevent these countries from participating in the exhibition. This decision came after the controversy over Russia and Israel's participation in the biennale. Following the jury's resignation, the biennale organizers announced that awards will be given based on visitors' votes on the last day of the exhibition instead of the opening day. Russia's first participation in the biennale since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine received reactions from Ukraine and more than 20 European countries. The European Union withdrew its 2 million euro funding for the biennale due to Russia's participation. Fondazione Biennale stated that the participation decision is based on countries' ownership rights over their own pavilions. These developments once again highlighted the impact of political tensions on international art events.