A Voice of Freedom in Venice: a new pavilion dedicated to resistance against Russian aggression
The ‘Padiglione del (Dis)Senso’ — an independent space for artistic resistance — has opened in Venice. In Venice, as part of the 61st Venice Biennale, the Padiglione del (Dis)Senso (‘Pavilion (Dis)Senso’ — an independent art platform dedicated to creative freedom, human rights and resistance to political repression — has opened in Venice as part of the 61st Venice Biennale. The exhibition will run from 7 July to 7 August in the former Church of San Leonardo. The opening symbolically took place almost 50 years after the historic 1977 Biennale del Dissenso, which became a landmark event for the artistic dissident movement.
The project was conceived by the Arts Against Aggression initiative and organised by Memorial Italia in collaboration with Katya Margolis. It emerged as a response to the exploitation of culture for political ends, as well as a continuation of artistic protests against Russia’s state presence at international cultural venues. The exhibition brought together artists, curators and activists from various countries. The central themes were political repression, human rights, exile, cultural memory and the role of art as a form of resistance.
Among the most significant projects were: an installation by Nadezhda Tolokonnikova (Pussy Riot), dedicated to the works of political prisoners; the DecolonizArt project by artist Pavlo Rotets, exploring the memory and cultural identity of colonised peoples; the Little Queer Art Project — an exhibition dedicated to LGBTQ+ artists and dissidents in exile; the installation ‘Death in Venice’ by the Latvian artist Kriss Salmanis; Invisible Pavilion — an urban memorial campaign dedicated to Ukrainian artists who lost their lives as a result of the war. The project was initiated by Katya Margolis in collaboration with NAU (Network Associazioni per Ucraina). The pavilion also features works by Danil Tkachenko, Nadiya Skidan, Iryna Regina Hoffmann, Filip Pishchyk (Bluemoloko), Katya Margolis and other contemporary artists.
The organisers emphasise that ‘The (Dis)Agreement’ is not merely an exhibition, but a space for dialogue, reflection on contemporary challenges and a collective re-examination of the role of art in times of war and social upheaval. According to the organisers, on 4 June 2026, the Russian authorities added the organisation Memorial Italia to the list of ‘extremist and terrorist’ organisations. This decision relates to the legislation of the Russian Federation and does not imply international recognition of such a status.
