Thousands of artists have called for Israel to be excluded from this year's Venice Biennale in an open letter that accuses the country of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.
The letter published online by the Art Not Genocide Alliance (ANGA) states that it is unacceptable to present art at an international cultural event from a state that is currently carrying out atrocities in the embattled Gaza Strip.
According to ANGA, more than 8,000 artists and cultural professionals have now signed the petition.
The demand comes just two months before the renowned art exhibition, hosted annually in Venice, is set to begin on April 20.
The Biennale will run until November 24 with numerous national pavilions to be on display there. The artists who signed the open letter are demanding that no Israeli pavilion be allowed.
"Any official representation of Israel on the international cultural stage is an endorsement of its policies and of the genocide in Gaza," the petition reads.
Israel is accused by critics of committing genocide in the fight against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Israel firmly rejects the accusation.
It has said its attacks are justified as self-defence following the worst massacre in Israel's history, carried out by Hamas militants and other extremist Palestinian groups who attacked Israeli communities on October 7, killing 1,200 people and kidnapping about 250.
The Israeli military operation has killed nearly 30,000 people in the Gaza Strip and displaced around 80% of the population of the narrow coastal territory.