Details emerge regarding the Italian government denying visas for three Ghanaian curators at the 2023 Venice Architecture Biennale

Controversy is stirring at the Venice Architecture Biennale after Italian government officials refused visas to three key Ghanian curators who had planned on entering the country to attend the exhibition ahead of its opening on Saturday. The Art Newspaper's Tom Seymour has the latest details on a story first mentioned by Guardian critic Oliver Wainwright via Twitter on May 10th. Sickening to hear this from the curator of this year's Venice Biennale, Lesley Lokko – large numbers of participants from Africa have been denied visas to attend: pic.twitter.com/Pn5ASUgev9— Olly Wainwright (@ollywainwright) May 10, 2023 The drama began after the Italian ambassador to Ghana denied entry permissions to the traveling contingent, reportedly accusing curator Lesley Lokko of trying to bring three “non-essential” workers into the EU’s Schengen economic zone. Lokko, who is herself of Ghanaian descent, responded to decry the actions as the motivations of a right-wing careerist diplomat, adding in h...