A City of Art & Culture: Uncovering This Year’s Biennale

The Arsenale and the Giardini, this year’s 60th edition of the Venice Art Biennale, which began April 20th along with the installations scattered around the city, opened its doors to the International Exhibition of Art curated by Adriano Pedrosa. The Biennale, overseen for the first time in history by a Latin American artist, is thriving and open to the public until November 24th.

Held in the lagoon since its foundation in 1895, it is primarily known for its International Art Exhibition, and includes other categories such as architecture, film, dance, music, and theater. The Venice Biennale is one of the most important and prestigious art exhibitions in the world, which Venetian’s are incredibly proud of as it draws an inspiring and contemporary artistic crowd.

The International Art Exhibition, which takes place every two years (hence the name "Biennale"), attracts artists from around the world and showcases a wide range of contemporary works in various mediums, from painting and sculpture to multimedia installations and conceptual art. The Biennale serves as an important platform for cultural exchange and artistic experimentation and has been a key venue for the presentation of major artistic movements throughout the 20th and 21st centuries.

To attend the Venice Biennale is to embark on a journey of discovery and exploration, where each step unveils new perspectives and possibilities. Stepping into the hallowed halls of the exhibition venues, visitors are enveloped in a sensory feast of sights, sounds, and ideas. The eclectic mix of artworks invites contemplation, sparking conversations and connections that transcend language and background.

The atmosphere of the Biennale is filled with creativity and anticipation, as artists and audiences converge to celebrate the power of art to inspire, provoke, and challenge. The city itself becomes a canvas for artistic expression, with site-specific installations and performances transforming its urban landscape into a living, breathing artwork.
For artists, it is a platform for showcasing their vision to the world; for visitors, it is a journey of enlightenment and wonder. In its celebration of diversity, innovation, and human creativity, the Venice Biennale stands as a testament to the enduring power of art to unite and inspire us all.

A must-see project is "Due qui / To Hear" at the end of the exhibition path at the Arsenale, curated by Luca Cerizza for the Italian Pavilion. This sound and environmental installation by Massimo Bartolini explores listening as an action towards others, combining physical experience with a metaphor of attention and openness. Moving to the Giardini della Biennale, not far from Sant'Elena, the United States Pavilion presents a multidisciplinary exhibition by Jeffrey Gibson. With "the space in which to place me," the artist explores the convergence of American, Indigenous, and queer histories through sculptures, multimedia paintings, works on paper, and videos, creating a new context that amplifies the voices of marginalized generations.