The Venice Biennale Foundation released a statement declaring that the Islamic Republic of Iran would not take part in the 61st International Art Exhibition titled In Minor Keys and curated by Koyo Kouoh. The announcement issued four days before the May 9 opening offered no explanation for the absence even as it updated the roster of national participants to 100 with the addition of first-time entrants including Tanzania and Seychelles. According to the foundation the event continues through November 22 despite the change.
Reports in The Art Newspaper indicated the decision emerged against a backdrop of rising Middle East tensions that included a fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran in place since April. The publication noted fresh claims of naval clashes between the parties and strong public warnings from President Donald Trump as the context for the announcement. An anonymous source familiar with Iran’s selection process told The Art Newspaper that the lack of a named artist or confirmed pavilion details had already pointed toward possible cancellation amid the political and economic climate.
The Art Newspaper detailed that Iran debuted at the Venice Biennale in 1956 under the Pahlavi regime with appearances remaining irregular until the 1979 Islamic Revolution prompted a long hiatus. The country returned to the event in 2003 and has featured intermittently in the decades since with more consistent engagement after 2015. Its 2024 pavilion addressed women’s rights according to the publication’s historical overview.
Aydin Mahdizadeh Tehrani the director-general of visual arts at Iran’s Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance and the designated pavilion commissioner told the Iran Students News Agency on May 12 that the country had never submitted a withdrawal. He explained that Iran had requested extra time for preparation while the US-Israel conflict with Iran was still active and that organisers had set an end-of-March deadline for final confirmation. Tehrani added that economic pressures including a sharp currency devaluation had tripled the budgeted costs making full seven-month participation unfeasible.
The commissioner stated that Iran’s proposal to limit its presence to two or three months was rejected by the Biennale team. He noted that a formal letter sent on May 10 reiterated insistence on opening the pavilion later in the summer even if competition for awards was no longer possible. Tehrani indicated that Iran’s foreign ministry had become involved to emphasise the importance of eventual participation.
Subsequent coverage by ARTnews and The National confirmed that discussions between Iranian officials and Biennale organisers continued after the initial statement with the ministry maintaining that logistical and financial obstacles rather than outright refusal had caused the delay. Those outlets reported that sanctions restricted shipping and travel while the absence of a permanent Iranian pavilion in Venice significantly raised rental expenses for temporary space. Iran had mounted national exhibitions at several recent editions when conditions permitted according to the combined accounts.
