The official theme of this year's Venice Biennale is "In Minor Keys", but "The Law of Unintended Consequences" might be more apt.
It was plunged into chaos yesterday when the five international jury members announced their resignation.
They refused to explain their reasons instead referring readers back to an earlier statement saying they would not consider "those countries whose leaders are currently charged with crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court" for the Golden Lion award.
That move, widely seen as critical of this year's inclusion of Russia and Israel, has now backfired with the biennale announcing two Visitors' Lions awards.
They will be voted for by the ticket-buying public with the award for "Best National Participation" open to all the countries on the official list raising the possibility of an Israeli or Russian win - the very thing the jury led by Brazilian curator Solange Oliveira Farkas did not want.
In the unlikely event of a Russian win, they will not be going to Latvia to celebrate - the Baltic state has just indefinitely banned three of its pavilion organizers, including Anastasia Karneeva and Yekaterina Vinokurova, from entering the country over their involvement in the event.
The biennale opens for previews on Wednesday.