Key facts
- The European Commission sent a third letter to the Venice Biennale Foundation.
- The Venice Biennale Foundation has 30 days to respond to the European Commission.
- The Venice Biennale Foundation risks losing EU funding.
- A group accused of pro-Russian ties and promoting pseudoscience has been approved to hold an event at the European Parliament.
- The event at the European Parliament is scheduled for February.
- Some MEPs have voiced concerns about reputational risk.
The European Commission has escalated its engagement with the Venice Biennale Foundation, dispatching a third letter that seeks further clarification regarding Russia's participation in the upcoming event. The Foundation is now under a strict 30-day deadline to provide a satisfactory response. Failure to do so could jeopardize its access to European Union funding, indicating a serious concern from the Commission about the nature and implications of Russia's involvement. The specifics of the unresolved issues remain undisclosed, but the repeated communication suggests a persistent gap in information or justification from the Biennale.