Mollicone: the Russian Pavilion can wait

This is taken care of by the Minister and Parliament.... It won't be easy though... I don't know, I guess they are working on a diplomatic solution, I guess moral suasion. The problem is not solved by entrusting the Russian Pavilion to artists from other countries instead of Russian artists. It seems to me a way around the substance, because in 2022 Russian artists refused to represent the Russian Pavilion. Let's say that now this would be the worst solution, because what Russia is interested in is having influence, the presence in the Biennale is an international influence action. An operation of image, of make-up, of propaganda.

I recall a case that few people know: for the Russians, there are no dissident artists. There are, but they are all exfiltrated. Those who are left, who remain at the Bolshoi and in their cultural institutions, if they take a stand against the Russian government, they come to a bad end. There was the case of a 39-year-old ballet dancer, Vladimir Shklyarov, a famous star of the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg who also performed in Italia, who made statements against the war and the government and tragically disappeared by falling from the window of his home in St. Petersburg. For Russian artists there is no opportunity to express themselves, everything is aimed at a colossal influence operation. We in the West have lost the memory of the Cold War, and we think there never was one in Italia or in Europe, now instead the British, above all, the Germans, the French and all the Eastern European nations, who are the most mobilised, react against this Russian presence.

Did you expect the outcry from European ministers, which came after the Giulians' action?

Yes, because Ukraine in particular is very sensitive to these Russian actions. Ukraine and Latvia managed to mobilise the new French Minister of Culture in a very quick time too. Because there is a real sensitivity, not window-dressing, I understand that those who experience war every day on their own territory for having been invaded, have mobilised as well as all the countries that risk this invasion, because let us not forget that the Baltic Republics are neighbours and have known the Soviet country. So I also express solidarity with these countries.

When is culture free?

If one respects life first. However, the matter is far from over.

In the government a few voices were raised in favour of Buttafuoco, Salvini said it was OK if Russia participated in the Biennial...

I think all opinions are legitimate. The beauty of coalitions is that there is a confrontation between different ideas. After that, the ownership awaits the Minister of Culture, the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister when the matter is one of diplomacy, in this case cultural but also geopolitical. Of course, there are other countries that have had image problems, such as Israel in the last edition of the Biennale and in the end voluntarily gave up opening its pavilion. But the difference is that that is a democracy where it is possible to host a dissident anti-war artist in the pavilion. I challenge Russia to host dissident artists who speak out against Putin, against the Russian government and against the war.

But Iran was also announced at the Biennial, it is a theocracy where dissidence is not allowed, how do we deal with that?

The same applies to Iran. I respect the vision of the president of the Biennale Russia proves to be a democracy that hosts dissident anti-war artists. Israel in 2022 has chosen not to open its pavilion, but there are other nations that do. I go every year to open the Biennale and every year we find pavilions that are not aligned with the governments that set it up. So it is part of cultural pluralism.

Will the Russian Pavilion eventually be built?

I think he will not be there. We shall see.