The central image of the Ukrainian Pavilion is Zhanna Kadyrova’s street sculpture Origami Deer, which was evacuated from the city of Pokrovsk in 2024 during the evacuation of civilians. Together with the sculpture, the pavilion raises the issue of failed security guarantees under which Ukraine gave up its nuclear arsenal in 1996.
The pavilion is curated by Kseniia Malykh and Leonid Marushchak, while Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister for Humanitarian Policy and Culture Minister Tetiana Berezhna serves as commissioner.
Speaking at the pavilion’s opening, Berezhna said the title Security Guarantees is a direct reminder of international commitments that proved ineffective in protecting Ukraine during Russia’s aggression.
“This year the pavilion speaks about security guarantees — guarantees on which the lives of millions of people, the preservation of cultural heritage and the future of entire countries depend. The Origami Deer, evacuated from Pokrovsk to Venice, has become a symbol of the fragility of security and at the same time a symbol of the resilience of Ukrainians, who continue to create, preserve their culture and speak to the world through art. We are working to make Ukraine’s voice even stronger,” she said.
Through Kadyrova’s Origami Deer, the pavilion’s curators draw parallels between the sculpture and security guarantees. In 2019, the sculpture was installed in Yuvileinyi Park in Pokrovsk, Donetsk Oblast, on the site of a dismantled Soviet Su-7 fighter jet that had once been capable of carrying nuclear weapons. The sculpture was cast onto its pedestal and was not intended to be transported. But in 2024, when the front line approached the city, it had to be evacuated.
“When we created the sculpture in 2019, it had a different meaning. It was a decorative sculpture for a peaceful park. Now reality is completely different — the park no longer exists, and Pokrovsk has been completely destroyed. Behind me you can see a video installation documenting the sculpture’s journey from Pokrovsk to Venice. We traveled nearly 7,000 kilometers, and in every city where we stopped we met people from Pokrovsk. This project has many layers, and one of them is about people,” artist Zhanna Kadyrova said.
The evacuation was organized by the NGO Museum Open for Renovation together with Kadyrova, specialists and municipal workers from Pokrovsk. Historian and pavilion co-curator Leonid Marushchak was part of the initiative group.
“In 2024, when the initiative emerged to dismantle and evacuate Jeanne’s sculpture, we did not yet realize what meanings it would acquire. Now it is no longer just a park sculpture for us — it is a symbol of the present in the context of transforming historical narratives in public spaces,” Marushchak said.
The Ukrainian Pavilion project is presented at two locations. The sculpture is displayed at the Giardini della Biennale, suspended from a truck crane.
By suspending the sculpture from a crane, the curators draw parallels with the psychological state of uncertainty experienced by Ukrainians during the war.
“This gesture is dedicated to millions of Ukrainians who, like the Origami Deer, have lost their support and their homes. This state of uncertainty, when you cannot plan even the next few weeks, is something Ukrainians know very well today. Please spread the word about the project and about Pokrovsk, which has now been destroyed by Russia. Support Ukraine at a time when Russia is trying to destroy our culture and kill our artists,” curator Kseniia Malykh said.
The second part of the exhibition, presented at the Arsenale, features a documentary film about the evacuation from Pokrovsk and the journey to Venice, as well as archival materials related to the Budapest Memorandum.
The Venice Biennale runs through Nov. 22, 2026. In addition to the Ukrainian national pavilion, Ukraine is represented in the Biennale’s parallel program by Joy, an exhibition organized by the PinchukArtCentre. Posters from the Invisible Pavilion project, created by the Association of Ukrainian Organizations in Italy (NAU), can also be seen throughout Venice.
Ahead of the opening, Berezhna joined culture ministers from 14 European countries in issuing a statement stressing the need for a consolidated international position on Russian aggression and its consequences for culture.
What is known about the 2026 Venice Biennale
This year Russia will reopen its national pavilion for the first time since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Governments of 22 European countries opposed the decision and signed a joint protest against Russia’s participation in the Venice Biennale, which was delivered to Biennale President Pietrangelo Buttafuoco and Italian Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli.
At the same time, 37 members of the European Parliament called on the European Commission to suspend €2 million in funding because of Russia’s participation and consider restrictive measures against individuals linked to the Russian pavilion.
The lawmakers warned that “trust in the European Union will be undermined” if it does not prevent Russia’s participation.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree enacting sanctions against five Russian cultural figures connected to the Russian pavilion.
Among them is Anastasia Karneeva, who has served as commissioner of the pavilion since 2021 and is representing Russia this year. She is the daughter of Nikolai Volobuyev, a retired general and deputy director of Rostec, one of Russia’s largest defense corporations.
Ukraine also called on Italy not to issue visas to Russian participants in the Biennale.
Latvian Culture Minister Agnese Lace said she would boycott the exhibition’s opening on May 9 if Russia participates. She initiated a joint statement calling for Russia’s exclusion from the Venice Biennale, which was signed by 25 countries.
Finland’s government also said its senior officials would not attend the exhibition if organizers allow the Russian pavilion to open.
In response, the Venice Biennale jury said it had excluded Russia and Israel from consideration for the top awards and would not visit their pavilions.
On April 29, Artslooker reported that the Russian pavilion at the Venice Biennale would be closed to the public and open only from May 5-8 during preview days for the press and art community.
On April 30, the Biennale’s international jury resigned in full over Russia’s participation.