Venice is just so ALIVE during its Biennale, the world famous, all inclusive art festival, that covers not just art for art’s sake, but film, contemporary music, dance, theatre and architecture! It’s a mammoth exhibition piece, lasting for months, so definitely falls under the #mustvisit category. The exhibition venues are outstanding in this historic city, whilst during the International Film Festival, when all the movie stars, directors and half of Hollywood descend onto Venice, the place is positively sparkling. Making your way through town by boat, along countless canals, it’s the Grand Canal that steals the show, particularly also as the Gritti Palace Hotel is situated right on it, opposite the famous St. Mark’s cathedral. Packed with the aforementioned film stars during the Biennale Cinema, it is a perfect spot for celeb watching and living in utter luxury and splendour during your stay. Watch the video now to catch the vibe and soak it all in – if you’re not able to go this year, mark it in your diary for next year! (labienale.org)
Venice Biennale 2020
La Biennale di Venezia, as the locals call it, or the Venice Biennale to you and me, is a stunning biennial exhibition put on by the Biennale Foundation. The Venice Biennale and its festivals and exhibitions are unlike anything else you have seen before. Although it is mainly known as a large-scale art exhibition that is renowned internationally, it is so much more than that!
The festival really does have it all with multiple exhibitions and events including the Theatre Biennale, Cinema Biennale, Architecture Biennale, Art Biennale, Music Biennale, and Dance Biennale – all of which take place in Venice.
Attracting over half a million visitors each year, the Venice Biennale is not only internationally acclaimed but also the first Biennale ever organised making the original and oldest of the all the Biennales around the world! Dating all the way back to 1895, this exciting event has been drawing millions of people to Venice for over 125 years!
The focal point of this year’s Venice Biennale is the Disquieted Muses exhibition which draws on the organisation’s rich archives of music, theatre, art, architecture, dance and cinema to create an expertly curated experience for visitors, masterminded by the artistic directors of the various departments involved, in collaboration with other archives, both Italian and international.
Intended to celebrate not only the rich history of the Biennale but also the 125th anniversary of its foundation, The Disquieted Muses is being held in the Central Pavilion at Giardini della Biennale until 8th December this year. The themes explored in the exhibition follow key events from the past century with visitors starting in a room covering Fascism, then moving on to other world events such as the Cold War, the unrest experienced in Italy in 1968. All of which seem all the more relevant in a year where global instability has dominated both the headlines and the daily lives of millions of people in the wake of the ongoing pandemic, and several environmental disasters.
As always, the main events and exhibitions of this year’s Venice Biennale will be held at the Arsenale and the Gardini, both well-known to regulars in the art world, but no doubt off the beaten path for tourists. Playing host to the Biennale since the very beginning, the Giardini park on the eastern corner of Venice has grown to accommodate 29 national pavilions that all play a role in the festival, with each one representing a different country that owns and manages its pavilion.
Another event great attraction within the Biennale is the Film Festival. When the good, the great and the most powerful in the movie industry touch down in Venice, it’s a properly glamorous affair. Mega stars like Cate Blanchett, Tilda Swinton and Esther Expósito shine on the red carpet, directors, like Woodie Allen and Pedro Almodóvar , as well as producers and writers are there to promote their films at much awaited screenings, whilst the suits and moneymen like coming to Venice to keep the machine in motion, enjoying one of the most picturesque and scenic locations in the world.
If you can’t wait to find out more about this fabulous event, make sure to check back soon for out latest Venice Biennale video!