Iran has withdrawn from this year’s Venice Biennale just days before its opening on May 9 amid its war with Israel and the United States, according to Arab News.
“With regard to the National Participations in the 61st International Art Exhibition, ‘In Minor Keys’ by Koyo Kouoh (May 9 to Nov. 22), it has been announced that the Islamic Republic of Iran will not participate,” the statement said on Monday.
Iran has only listed Aydin Mahdizadeh Tehrani, the director-general of visual arts at the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, as its official commissioner.
Tehran then had not released any details about its artistic selection or pavilion presentation although it was expected to participate in the exhibition.
The panel had previously stated that it would bar artists representing countries whose leaders are subject to International Criminal Court arrest warrants for alleged crimes against humanity.
War in Iran
On February 28, the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran, targeting its leadership and triggering a new conflict in the Middle East.
Iran has been responding with a retaliatory counterattack in Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi as a retaliatory move, while launching barrages of missiles and drones toward Israel.
The conflict has spread across the Middle East, leaving thousands dead, triggering unprecedented disruptions to energy supplies especially after the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
The adversaries remain locked in a standoff over the Strait of Hormuz, as Iran tightens its control over maritime traffic while the United States continues to enforce a blockade on Iranian ports.
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