The Ukrainian National Pavilion, titled "Security Guarantees," has opened at the 61st Venice Biennale. This was reported by Ukraine's Vice Prime Minister for Humanitarian Policy and Minister of Culture, Tetiana Berezhna, according to UNN.
The National Pavilion "Security Guarantees" was opened at the 61st Venice Biennale. At the center of the pavilion is Zhanna Kadyrova's "Origami Deer." This sculpture has become one of the most powerful metaphors for modern-day Ukraine
According to her, in 2019, "Origami Deer" was installed in Pokrovsk on the site of a dismantled Soviet aircraft—a nuclear weapon carrier. In 2024, the sculpture had to be evacuated due to Russian aggression. Now, the Deer is suspended on a truck in Venice, serving as a symbol of the uncertainty in which millions of Ukrainians live.
The title of the pavilion—"Security Guarantees"—carries direct political and historical meaning. In 1994, Ukraine voluntarily surrendered the world's third-largest nuclear arsenal in exchange for international security guarantees. This project serves as a reminder of the responsibility of international agreements and the consequences of decisions that determine the security of entire generations
The Vice Prime Minister emphasized that in Ukraine, culture is a vital part of national security. Russia is systematically destroying Ukrainian cultural heritage, museums, archives, theaters, and historical memory. This is a war against Ukrainian identity and the right of Ukrainians to be visible in world history and culture.
The Ukrainian voice must sound as loud as possible on international cultural platforms today. And we must loudly declare that art platforms cannot become places for the legitimization of war crimes and aggression
As a reminder
There are plans to open a Russian pavilion at the 61st festival (May 9 - November 22, 2026). This marks Russia's first participation in the exhibition since the start of the full-scale war against Ukraine.
The European Commission has initiated the procedure to suspend or terminate the grant agreement with the Venice Biennale following the decision to allow the Russian pavilion to participate. This concerns a 2 million euro contract that was intended for three years.
The international jury of the 61st Venice Art Biennale resigned on the eve of the event's opening.
The organizers of the Venice Biennale changed the format of the awards ceremony following the resignation of the international jury.
Ukraine's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Andrii Sybiha, once again called on the Venice Biennale to reverse its decision and suspend Russia following the jury's resignation and the change in the exhibition format.
The Venice Biennale opens to the press on Wednesday amid resignations, boycotts, and threats of funding cuts—"in an atmosphere of chaos" due to the return of Russia for the first time since the start of the Russian war against Ukraine.