The 61st Venice Biennale is due to officially open to visitors on Saturday, a day after thousands of demonstrators gathered in Venice to protest against Israel's participation in the art exhibition.
Alongside the documenta in the German city of Kassel, the art biennial is considered the most important presentation of contemporary art and attracts artists and guests from around the world.
Last week, in a dispute over how to deal with Russia and Israel, the jury resigned en masse - an unprecedented event since the Biennale's founding in 1895.
The grand opening ceremony has been cancelled, as has the usual presentation of the Golden Lions.
Prizes will now only be awarded at the end of the Biennale in November – and no longer by a jury, but through a vote by the public.
The director of the Biennale, Pietrangelo Buttafuoco, rejected criticism of Russia's participation. He accused his critics of narrow-mindedness and defended the event as a bastion of artistic freedom and dialogue.
The festival is set to run until November 22.
