Venice Art Exhibition sparks Controversy Over Founder’s Ties to Russian oligarch
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Three prominent artists have withdrawn their work from a new exhibition in Venice, citing concerns over the institution’s founder’s connections to Russian billionaire Leonid Mikhelson. Reto Pulfer, Maryam Hoseini, and Anna Witt made their decision after learning that Scuola Piccola Zattere, the nonprofit behind the show “One Year Score: Primo Movimento,” was founded by Victoria Mikhelson, daughter of the oligarch.
The exhibition, which opened on November 22nd and runs until March 30, 2025, now features work from three remaining artists: Agnieska Mastalerz, Ludovica Carbotta, and Tomaso De Luca.
Leonid Mikhelson, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has publicly supported the ongoing war in Ukraine. The UK government imposed sanctions on him in 2022, and while the US has not directly sanctioned him, several companies supplied by his operations have faced sanctions.
Mikhelson is the founder and chairman of Novatek, a Russian natural gas producer that supplies the Sverdlov Plant. This facility, sanctioned by the US in 2023, manufactures explosives and ammunition used by the Russian military in Ukraine. He also holds a major stake in Sibur,a liquefied petroleum gas giant forced to reduce exports due to a shortage of tankers amid US sanctions. According to independent Russian media outlet Project, Sibur supplies materials crucial to russian military systems operating in Ukraine.
In 2018, Mikhelson transferred control of two companies—Nova, a gas pipeline construction firm, and logistics company Optima—to his daughter Victoria.Optima owns GES-2 House of Culture, a 585,000-square-foot contemporary art museum in Moscow. This institution was built by the Moscow-based arts nonprofit V-A-C Foundation, founded by Leonid Mikhelson in 2009.
Venice Art Space Backed by Family of Gazprom Head Loses Artists Amid Funding Controversy
The newly launched Scuola Piccola zattere, a Venice-based art space, has found itself at the center of controversy after several artists withdrew from its inaugural exhibition following questions about its funding sources. The institution, headed by Victoria Mikhelson, the daughter-in-law of Leonid Mikhelson, the chairman and controlling shareholder of Russian energy giant Gazprom, has been the subject of scrutiny since its inception. Mikhelson’s ties to Gazprom,a company heavily sanctioned by Western countries following Russia’s invasion of ukraine,have raised concerns among some artists and observers. Three artists participating in Scuola Piccola Zattere’s first exhibition, Reto Pulfer, Maryam Hoseini, and Anna Witt, pulled out of the project after being contacted by ARTnews and learning about the institution’s connections to Leonid Mikhelson. The artists declined to comment further on their decision. “Despite the statements that have been released on the legitimacy of the funds, which are constantly monitored by Italian authorities, and the dialog with the artists on the governance of the institution, which has not changed since the beginning of the collaboration with them, this media focus led to the artists’ choice to withdraw,” Scuola Piccola Zattere saeid in a statement. The institution maintained that the funding for the project comes entirely from Mikhelson’s “personal resources” and emphasized their commitment to the project, which they beleive is “a legitimate, valid and necessary initiative precisely at this moment in history.” Victoria Mikhelson, in a statement to ARTnews, defended her decision to support Scuola Piccola Zattere: “Scuola Piccola Zattere is a project that entirely reflects my values. I think the vital tools we have to counter the increasing use of violence is dialogue and creation of cultural contact zones. That is why I think that [a] cultural boycott is fundamentally wrong, as an idea and as a strategy, because it produces further distance, incomprehension and suspicion, all things that feed the clashes.Making space for safe exchange, discussion, free expression of thought is what is humane and should always be encouraged, not silenced.” Mikhelson further clarified that the funds used for Scuola Piccola Zattere were acquired before the outbreak of the conflict in 2022 and that she aimed to contribute to the cultural landscape of Venice, a city she considers a important artistic hub.New Venice Art Space Sparks debate Over Funding Source
A new contemporary art space, Scuola Piccola Zattere, has opened its doors in Venice, sparking conversation within the art world about its funding source. The institution, curated by Irene Calderoni, a prominent italian curator known for her work at the Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo in Turin, has set up shop in a former convent on the Zattere waterfront. Scuola Piccola Zattere is financially backed by Victoria mikhelson, a Russian collector and philanthropist. This connection has raised eyebrows in light of the ongoing war in Ukraine,prompting discussions about the ethical implications of engaging with Russian funding for cultural institutions. Calderoni, who co-curated the 2010 exhibition “Modernikon: Contemporary Art from Russia” alongside Francesco Bonami in partnership with the V-A-C Foundation, acknowledged the complexities surrounding the situation. “‘Modernikon,’ that happened 15 years ago, allowed me to engage with many Russian artists, with whom we discussed specifically the relationship between artistic practice, political urgencies and spaces of freedom,” she said. “The issues identified at that time became more acute with the outbreak of the war, but they were already there: what has changed as then is that the space of exchange with the outside, which was opening then, has been closed again. I hope that we will resume this process, and that the spaces of discussion will multiply rather than shrink.” She emphasized her respect for Mikhelson’s right to self-determination and reaffirmed her stance, aligned with the European Union, on the clear condemnation of the war. “I hope for a peaceful resolution of the conflict through the ways of diplomacy and dialogue,” Calderoni added. Defending the project, Alessandro Rabottini,the former director of V-A-C’s Venice branch and now director of the Castello di Rivoli Museo d’Arte Contemporanea in Turin,stressed the need for transparency and open dialogue. “I saw that Victoria made a clear statement that she and the project are against all forms of violence and that her intention is to have in Venice a platform for dialogue,” he stated. “Those things are good directions and the transparency around where the money is from (her own) is the only way to allow peopel to either—in complete awareness—engage with such proposal or not. Now I think it’s about individual choices rather than calls for mass boycott.”So far, there have been no significant calls for a boycott of Scuola Piccola Zattere.
## Interview: Art and Controversy – An Inside Look at the venice Art Exhibition
**Interviewer:** Welcome to Archyde! Today we are joined by [name of Alex Reed, e.g., art critic, expert in Russian-Italian cultural relations, or legal expert on sanctions] to discuss the recent controversy surrounding the “One Year score: Primo Movimento” exhibition at Scuola Piccola zattere in Venice.
[Alex Reed introduction and expertise mentioning]
**Interviewer:** Let’s start with the basics. Could you explain why this art exhibition has sparked so much controversy?
**Alex Reed:** [Provide concise clarification of the controversy, focusing on the ties between the founder’s family and Leonid Mikhelson, his alleged connections to the Russian government and the war in Ukraine, and the concerns raised by artists about funding sources].
**Interviewer:** Three prominent artists have withdrawn their work citing ethical concerns. How unusual is this, and what message does it send?
**Alex Reed:** [Discuss the significance of artist withdrawals, their potential impact on Scuola Piccola Zattere’s credibility, and the wider implications for art institutions receiving funding from sources perceived as controversial].
**Interviewer:** Scuola Piccola Zattere maintains that the funding comes solely from Victoria Mikhelson’s personal resources and emphasizes the importance of cultural dialog. How convincing is this argument given the context of sanctions against Russian oligarchs and Leonid Mikhelson’s ties to the energy giant Gazprom?
**Alex Reed:** [Offer an informed opinion on the institution’s standpoint. Discuss the complexities surrounding “personal resources” and the potential for indirect influence. Analyze the role of cultural exchange in times of conflict and whether art can remain truly neutral].
**Interviewer:** What kind of precedent does this situation set for the art world, especially regarding openness in funding sources and acceptable affiliations for art institutions?
**Alex Reed:
**[offer a perspective on the broader implications. Suggest potential solutions and best practices for navigating ethical dilemmas in art funding and reception. Discuss the balance between artistic freedom,financial support,and social obligation.]
**Interviewer:** what advice would you give to other artists or institutions who might find themselves facing similar dilemmas in the future?
**Alex Reed:** [Offer practical advice and essential considerations for navigating ethical complexities within the art world.]
**Interviewer:** Thank you for providing such valuable insight into this very complex situation.
**Closing statement:** For more facts and ongoing updates on this story, please visit Archyde.com.
