Venice Biennale, appeal launched calling for Iran's exclusion

After the letter urging the exclusion of Israel from the Venice Biennale, there is now also an appeal calling forIran not to participate in the major international exhibition. The appeal for Iran out of the Biennale was launched by Woman Life Freedom Europe and Woman Life Freedom Italy, following the first note dated October 18, 2023, and signed by numerous personalities in culture, art, film, and music, in which they already called for the exclusion from the Venice Biennale 2024 of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which continues to perpetrate a series of inhumane and unspeakable acts of violence especially against women, against young people peacefully protesting, and against artists who do not align themselves with the regime.

The two women’s freedom movements today, Feb. 28, wrote a letter to the President of the Venice Biennale Roberto Cicutto, the Director General of the Biennale Andrea Del Mercato, the Biennale’s Board of Directors - Luigi Brugnaro, Luca Zaia, Claudia Ferrazzi - as well as to Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani, Minister of Culture Gennaro Sangiuliano, Chairman of the Culture Commission of the Chamber of Deputies Federico Mollicone, and Mayor of Venice Luigi Brugnaro. “It is with great astonishment and regret,” the missive reads, “that we have learned from the Venice Biennale website that, contrary to what you announced in October, the Islamic Republic of Iran will be among the national participations with a curator and an artist chosen by the Iranian regime. In the midst of the terror, Woman Life Freedom Italy Community and Woman Life Freedom Europe Communit,” on behalf of dissident and independent artists, and the persecuted Iranian people, calls for a strong and clear signal to the international community with an authoritative voice to cancel the participation of Iran and artists enslaved to the regime in the Venice Art Biennale 2024."

“Since the murder of Mahsa Amini (Sept. 16, 2022), the Italian government, like many other democratic countries and institutions, has distanced itself and avoided government meetings with the Iranian regime or any of their official participation in Italy,” the letter further reads. “Why does an important institution like La Biennale di Venezia lend itself to legitimizing the delegation of a dictatorial regime that has been censoring all artistic expression for 45 years? With this presence, La Biennale makes itself an accomplice of a criminal and bloodthirsty government. Now more than ever it is necessary to take a clear and unequivocal stand against the regime of the Islamic Republic of Iran, with those who have blood on their hands. This regime cannot and no longer has the right to represent the Iranian people and Iranian artists. ’Strangers Everywhere’ is us, forced to leave our country.”

The signatories include prominent figures in theart and culture, among them Iranian artist Shirin Neshat, filmmaker Marjane Satrapi, advocate Shirin Ebadi (2003 Nobel Peace Prize winner), filmmakers Marco Bellocchio and Nanni Moretti, artists Joseph Kosuth and Alberto Biasi, musicians Paolo Fresu, Davide Toffolo, Franco Piersanti, directors Francesca Archibugi, Daniele Luchetti, Giulio Manfredonia, Marco Simon Puccioni, Ferdinando Vicentini Orgnani, Paolo Virzì, screenwriters Francesca Marciano, Sandro Petraglia, Stefano Rulli, writers Gabriella Caramore, Mariolina Venezia, Marcello Fois, Diego De Silva, curators Luca Massimo Barbero and Chiara Bertola.

Venice Biennale, appeal launched calling for Iran's exclusion

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