Last week, three artists – Swiss artist Reto Pulfer, Iranian artist Maryam Hoseini, and German artist Anna Witt – requested the removal of their work from the inaugural exhibition at the nonprofit Scuola Piccola Zattere in Venice. The exhibition, titled „One Year Score: Primo Movimento,“ opened on November 22 and is set to run until March 30, 2025. Remaining in the exhibition are three artists: Agnieska Mastalerz from Poland, and Italians Ludovica Carbotta and Tomaso De Luca.
Scuola Piccola Zattere was established in November by Victoria Mikhelson, the daughter of Russian billionaire Leonid Mikhelson, a known supporter of Russian president Vladimir Putin and the ongoing war in Ukraine. Mikhelson has faced sanctions from the UK government in 2022, and his companies have been indirectly affected by sanctions in the US. He is linked to Russian natural gas producer Novatek and liquefied petroleum gas giant Sibur, both involved in supplying materials used by the Russian military in Ukraine.
Victoria Mikhelson claims that Scuola Piccola Zattere is funded solely through her personal resources, but the nonprofit operates from a building previously used by V-A-C Foundation, which was linked to her father’s businesses. The V-A-C Foundation’s Venice operation ceased in May 2022 due to the invasion of Ukraine, prompting its Italian director to resign in protest.
After learning of the institution’s ties to Leonid Mikhelson, artists Pulfer, Hoseini, and Witt withdrew from the exhibition but declined to comment further. The artists who chose to remain in the show did not respond to requests for comments. Scuola Piccola Zattere, in response to the artists‘ withdrawal, stated that the decision was influenced by media reports questioning the origin of the institution’s funding.
Victoria Mikhelson defended Scuola Piccola Zattere as a platform for cultural exchange and dialogue to counteract violence, stating that cultural boycotts only create further division. She emphasized the importance of creating spaces for open discussion and expression of ideas. The institution confirmed that Italy’s financial authority has audited and approved its accounts.
The artistic director of Scuola Piccola Zattere, Irene Calderoni, is also associated with Turin’s Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo. Calderoni previously curated exhibitions in collaboration with V-A-C Foundation, including „Modernikon: Contemporary Art from Russia,“ which featured Russian artists who later fled the country due to their opposition to the conflict in Ukraine. Calderoni expressed the importance of maintaining spaces for artistic and political discourse in light of current events. Ich hoffe, dass wir diesen Prozess wieder aufnehmen werden und dass die Diskussionsräume sich vermehren anstatt zu schrumpfen.“
In Antwort auf Fragen zur Zusammenarbeit mit Victoria Mikhelson während des Krieges sagte Calderoni, dass sie „das Recht zur Selbstbestimmung von Victoria anerkennt und respektiert“ und dass sie die Position der Europäischen Union der „klaren Verurteilung“ des Krieges teilt.
„Ich hoffe auf eine friedliche Lösung des Konflikts durch Diplomatie und Dialog“, fügte Calderoni hinzu.
Manacorda, der ehemalige Direktor des V-A-C-Venedig-Zweigs und jetzt Direktor des Castello di Rivoli Museo d’Arte Contemporanea in Turin, sagte ARTnews, dass die Situation rund um die Scuola Piccola Zattere auf „bedingungsloser Offenheit und Ehrlichkeit basieren sollte“.
„Ich habe gesehen, dass Victoria eine klare Aussage gemacht hat, dass sie und das Projekt gegen alle Formen von Gewalt sind und dass ihr Ziel in Venedig eine Plattform für Dialog ist“, sagte er in einer Nachricht auf WhatsApp. „Diese Dinge sind gute Richtungen und die Transparenz darüber, woher das Geld stammt (ihr eigenes), ist der einzige Weg, um den Menschen entweder in voller Kenntnis der Sachlage zu ermöglichen, sich auf solche Vorschläge einzulassen oder nicht. Jetzt glaube ich, dass es eher um individuelle Entscheidungen als um Massenboykotte geht.“
Bisher gab es keine größeren Aufrufe zum Boykott von Scuola Piccola Zattere.