Iran disputes Venice Biennale statement it withdrew from event

Aydin Mahdizadeh Tehrani, the director-general of the visual art office of Iran’s Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, has disputed a recent statement from organizers of the Venice Biennale that said the country had withdrawn from the event.

“Iran never withdrew from participating in the Venice Biennale,” Tehrani said in remarks to the Iran Students News Agency. “Incidentally, we had an initial agreement to participate in Venice and we are still in consultation. We have submitted a plan to participate in the Biennale as an exhibition, and we will probably receive a response in the next few days.”

La Biennale di Venezia said on May 4 that Iran would not take part in the 61st International Art Exhibition, In Minor Keys, which opened May 9 and runs through November 22. No explanation was provided for the decision.

Iran had an initial agreement to participate and remained in consultations with biennale organizers but was unable to resolve issues surrounding an official national pavilion. Tehrani said Iran never sent a withdrawal letter and had instead asked for more time.

He attributed the last-minute announcement to the Biennale’s structure, saying national presences in Venice can remain unsettled until shortly before the opening. He said organizers had been cooperative and did not initially reject Iran’s request for additional time.

But he said recent political developments, uncertainty over Iran-Italy relations and concerns among artists prevented plans from moving forward. Contradictory rumors and comments also made it difficult to reach a final decision, he said.

“The second challenge, no less than the first, was financial issues,” Tehrani told the publication. “Several cost estimates were made, and we also discussed with the Iranian cultural advisor in Italy, but the numbers were very large.

Tehrani said cost was also a factor, citing heavy infrastructure expenses tied to staging Iran’s presence in Venice.

He said the costs might have been easier to justify if Iran could have secured a four-year lease, but that was not possible. He said the office is instead focused on participating in next year’s architecture event, which he called an important opportunity Iran had missed in previous years.

Given Iran’s economic pressures, year-end financial strains on artists and the political risks surrounding participation, he said officials concluded that spending heavily on the event was not a rational use of resources without confidence that the benefits would justify the cost. So Iran decided to reduce its level of participation in the event.

“We wrote a letter and suggested that a shorter-term model be defined. For example, instead of being present for seven months, we would be present at the event for two or three months, but Iran would still be present,” he said. “However, they opposed this proposal.”

When a temporary ceasefire between the United States and Iran was reached, that further complicated its participation.

“On the one hand, economic and political issues did not allow for any presence, but on the other hand, the necessity of being present and delivering the message of Iran’s oppression, especially to Western countries, was felt more than ever,” he said.

He revealed that Iran then considered shaping its Venice Biennale presentation around the bombing of the city of Minab, including a U.S. strike that hit the Shajareh Tayyebeh Elementary School and killed 156 people, of which 120 were schoolchildren.

Tehrani said Iran’s failed Venice plans exposed a deeper problem: the country lacks the long-term infrastructure needed to maintain a stable presence at the biennale.

He said Iran has to restart the process each year, including finding space, securing a location, assembling staff and handling administrative logistics. That makes the effort vulnerable to collapse when a crisis occurs, he said.

Tehrani said officials now see a greater need for a permanent structure around Venice, including proposals for a standing secretariat and a board of trustees to manage Iran’s participation on a continuous, long-term basis.

His comments also come as the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art recently opened an exhibit with works by American pop artists Robert Indiana, Roy Lichtenstein and James Rosenquist as Iranian cultural institutions increasingly position art and artists as part of the country’s wartime messaging.

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