Several Venice Biennale pavilions shut in protest over inclusion of Israel

About a dozen pavilions affected, while some artists backed strike by adding Palestine references to their work

A strike called in protest over the inclusion of Israel at the 2026 Venice Biennale meant several pavilions closed on the last day of the preview, some for a few hours while others – including the standout work from Austria – remained closed all day.

The strike was organised by the Art Not Genocide Alliance (Anga), which at one point said that more than 20 pavilions would shutter in order to support their calls for Israel to be barred from the event because of its war in Gaza.