Major exhibitions at the Venice Biennale were shut on Friday as artists staged a pro-Palestinian protest. Austria's pavilion featuring Florentina Holzinger's "Seaworld Venice" was among the first closed, with signs reading "some team members have decided to participate in the strike." Belgium, Egypt, Japan, Netherlands and South Korea pavilions were also closed with We stand with Palestine banners.

The strike follows weeks of political turmoil at the world's premier art exhibition, which has faced criticism for allowing Israel and Russia to participate despite ongoing conflicts. The Israeli pavilion was closed for its official opening, while the Biennale's main exhibition "In Minor Keys" remained open. Artists have staged regular demonstrations throughout the event.

The Biennale administration emphasized that the strikes "do not involve the institution's staff" and that the event remains committed to freedom of expression. However, participating artists disagree, with Dutch representative Dries Verhoeven stating he closed his pavilion to show disgust at allowing Israel a platform amid the Gaza conflict. The event opens to the public on Saturday.