The 61st edition of the Venice Biennale, referred to as the ‘Olympics of the art world’, opened on Saturday amid heightened geopolitical tensions, making this year one of the most contested editions of the contemporary art exhibition in recent memory. The controversy intensified after its jury resigned on April 30 in protest over the participation of Israel and Russia, resulting in no Golden Lion awards being presented.
Demonstrations also took place outside the national pavilions, with critics arguing that countries under investigation by the International Criminal Court for alleged human rights abuses should not participate. Condemning the developments, British artist Anish Kapoor described the controversy as “the politics of hate and war and all that that’s been going on now for too long.”
Eurovision of Art
Instead of a jury, visitors to the biennale venues will vote for the best national pavilion, from 100 participants, and best participant in the main curated show, In Minor Keys, in Eurovision style. The vote will be anonymous, and by email, the Biennale said on Saturday. Winners will be announced on the closing day, November 22.
India returns to the biennale after seven years. The India Pavilion, organised by the Ministry of Culture in collaboration with the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre and Serendipity Arts Foundation, brings an exhibition titled Geographies of Distance: Remembering Home, curated by art historian Amin Jaffer. The exhibition opened in the presence of Union Minister of Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, President of La Biennale di Venezia Pietrangelo Buttafuoco, Secretary in Ministry of Culture Vivek Aggarwal, and Ambassador of India to Italy Vani Rao. The India launch was also attended by chairperson of Reliance Foundation Nita M Ambani, her daughter Isha Ambani, and Serendipity Arts Foundation founder Sunil Kant Munjal.
Mapping Home
The India pavilion features artworks by artists Alwar Balasubramaniam, Ranjani Shettar, Sumakshi Singh, Skarma Sonam Tashi, and Asim Waqif, their works examining themes of memory, migration, materiality and belonging, while drawing from Indian cultural traditions.
Speaking at the opening, Union Minister of Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said, “Geographies of Distance: Remembering Home presents a contemporary India that is both rooted and forward-looking. As our nation continues to evolve, this pavilion reflects the strength of our cultural memory and the power of artistic expression to connect India with the world.”
Vivek Aggarwal added that the participating artists engage deeply with questions of memory, transformation, and materiality, while also reflecting “the realities of a rising India” and contributing to broader global conversations around identity and belonging.
Curator Amin Jaffer explained that the exhibition approaches the idea of ‘home’, not as a fixed location, but as an emotional and material condition. Through fragile organic materials and deeply personal narratives, the artists explore how memory, migration, and change shape contemporary understandings of belonging.
— With agency inputs