'Enjoy the show. Ignore the war': Venice Biennale faces backlash after including Russia

'Enjoy the show. Ignore the war': Venice Biennale faces backlash after including Russia2 hours agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleSarah RainsfordSouthern and Eastern Europe correspondent, VeniceBBCPussy Riot and FEMEN have protested at this year's Vennice Biennale over Russia's return to the arts fairThe Russian punk protest group Pussy Riot and Femen, founded in Ukraine, have staged a striking joint protest at this year's Venice Biennale, as Russia returns to the prestigious arts fair for the first time since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.The activists swarmed through the gardens of the Biennale – often described as the 'Olympics' of the arts – to yell their protest outside the Russian national pavilion, dressed all in black but for their fluorescent pink balaclavas.As security guards rushed to close the glass doors, the protesters set off smoke flares and punched the air with screams of "Russia kills! Biennale exhibits!".One poster declared: "Curated by Putin, dead bodies included.""They're drinking vodka and champagne in their pavilion, soaked in the blood of Ukrainian children," Pussy Riot's Nadya Tolokonnikova told me, arguing that Russia's push to be back at the high-profile event was part of its hybrid warfare."It's not just tanks and drones, murder and rape in Ukraine. It's also culture, art, language…it's the way [Russia] tries to conquer the West and you guys just opened the doors to them."Protesters say Russia's push to be back at the event is part of its hybrid warfareThere has been concern over Russia's reinstatement ever since it was announced by Moscow earlier this year.The European Commission has "strongly condemned" the move and threatened to pull €2 million in funding for the Biennale. It argues that "Allowing the aggressor, Russia, to shine" on such a platform is against ethical standards linked to the gran...