Overview

• Italy's culture minister reaffirms Israel's right to participate in the Venice Biennale, dismissing calls for its exclusion as 'shameful'.
• Thousands of artists and cultural figures sign a petition urging the Biennale to drop Israel's pavilion, citing its military actions in Gaza.
• The Art Not Genocide Alliance accuses the Biennale of a double standard, comparing its response to Russia and South Africa to its silence on Israel.
• Perrotin gallery announces a partnership with eBay, aiming to make art accessible to all budgets.
• Controversies surrounding the Berlinale film festival and the UK's National Crime Agency's alert to the art storage industry also make headlines.