The European Commission has sent an ultimatum to the Venice Biennale. It demands that within a month it justify its decision to allow Russia's participation in the 61st International Art Exhibition. Brussels threatens to withdraw funding of two million euros if the response is not satisfactory. Art becomes a diplomatic battlefield. ⚔️
The European cultural algorithm and its exclusion filters 🧠
The European directive on cultural funding operates under a system for verifying compliance with democratic values. The Biennale, as a recipient entity, must demonstrate that its decision does not violate international sanctions. The justification process involves submitting a detailed report on the participant selection mechanisms. If the response does not convince Brussels, the payment system is automatically blocked, leaving the organization without resources for its programming.
Two million so that art does not do politics (or does it) 💶
The European Commission seems to have discovered that art is political just when it comes time to pay. Two million euros is the price the Biennale must pay for not consulting Brussels before inviting Russia. Perhaps next year the organizers will include an Accept political conditions button before buying the ticket. Or, better yet, that Russian artists show up with a fake passport from a country without sanctions.