The Biennale's Invisible Pavilion: project launched in Venice to honour Ukrainian cultural figures killed by Russia

The Association of Ukrainian Organisations in Italy has launched Invisible Pavilion, a project honouring Ukrainian cultural figures killed by Russia, ahead of the opening of the Venice Biennale.

Source: journalist Zoya Zvynyatskivska on Facebook

Details: Posters have been put up around the city advertising "artistic events in an imaginary, non-existent parallel Biennale programme that could have taken place – had the artists participating in it been alive. Had they not been killed by Russia," Zvynyatskivska writes.

The programme includes a reading with author Victoria Amelina, who was killed in a missile strike on Kramatorsk; a presentation of a children's book by Volodymyr Vakulenko, a writer who was tortured and killed by Russians during the occupation of Kharkiv Oblast; a discussion with Ihor Malakhov, a film director killed in action near Avdiivka; and a poetry reading with Nika Kozhushko, who was killed during a strike on Kharkiv.

But each announcement also has a sticker across it that reads "Cancelled because the author was killed by Russia." A QR code links to a PEN website showing how many Ukrainian cultural figures have died as a result of Russian aggression.

Zvynyatskivska says a large number of the posters have been put up on Via Garibaldi, which is as close as possible to the entrance to the Venice Biennale. Posters have also been put up at the beginning of the street on the embankment.

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