Last week, the international jury announced that it would exclude Russia and Israel from the award ceremony because the International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for war crimes against their leaders.
The Biennale announced in March that Russia would be allowed to participate for the first time since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, rejecting "any form of exclusion or censorship of art."
The announcement sparked fierce criticism from several quarters, including Ukraine and the European Commission.
