I don't know if art will save the world, but it is definitely saving me. This year, in Venice there are really a lot of amazing exhibitions and art events and I haven't been to all yet, but what I've seen so far has been amazing and inspiring and I can't wait to see more!
I drafted a little post with some exhibits you may want to put on your list for your next visit. Please consider that it is only partial and that it doesn't cover even half of the events. You may want to grab a My Venice Art Guide and the April issues of Exhibart for all the Biennale pavilion and collateral events and of the Journal of Arts for the two-page article on the best places to eat (listing all the new and reconfirmed Michelin star restaurants too!).
Finally the government has restored the free entry to state museums on the 1st Sunday of each month, so I started my yearly art therapy from Gallerie dell'Accademia. When I went, unfortunately Anish Kapoor's personal retrospective hadn't started yet -so I have no media to share with you just yet-, but now it's on and it will be running until the 9th of October! Anyway, the permanent collection alone is worth a visit, with works by Venetian painters such as Carpaccio, Tiziano, Tintoretto, and Veronese, just to name a few. BTW, Kapoor will open his own foundation in Venice in September, so... stay tuned!
For further info on Accademia's opening times and tickets, visit their website: https://gallerieaccademia.it/en
At Palazzo Grassi, Marlene Dumas' solo show 'Open End', an outstanding and -for me- rather emotional exhibition.
The exhibition gathers over 100 works and focuses on her whole pictorial production, with a selection of paintings and drawings created between 1984 and today, including unseen works made in the last few years. All report the injustice of discrimination, whether against gays or black people, and the wrongs inflicted to children. So far, my favourite exhibit. I highly recommend it! Website: https://www.palazzograssi.it/en/exhibitions/current/open-end-marlene-dumas/
In Piazza San Marco, a visit must be dedicated to the restoration of the Procuratie Vecchie by David Chipperfield for Assicurazioni Generali.
The third floor is open to the public and includes an exhibition space linked to The Human Safety Net Foundation, work spaces, an auditorium and a small cafeteria. The view over the Piazza from the low windows is unique and the interventions incredibly beautiful. Bookings are required, here the link: https://www.thehumansafetynet.org/it/visitaworldofpotential
In the complex of San Lorenzo, the exhibitions organised by Ocean Space and curated by Chus Martìnez, featuring South African artist Dineo Seshee and Portuguese artist Diana Policarpo, part of the major project 'The Soul Expanding Ocean' .
An opportunity to discover the space of the former church of San Lorenzo, rather unique (the staff is available in case you'd like a private guide) and the work of the research centre Ocean Space, so important and precious. The artworks, installations and videos, give us the chance to reflect on how human behaviour affects our seas and environment, the consequences we pay and, perhaps, give us some food for thought on how to improve our choices.
Then of course, the Biennale d'Arte in Giardini and Arsenale, which will require at leas two days. Curated by Cecilia Alemani, it takes the name from Leonora Carrington's illustrated book 'The Milk of Dreams'.
The theme is gender fluidity, only 6 artists are men, as for the rest only women and LGBT. Personally, I think Biennale and art shows in general, are always worth seeing. I must confess that I found it a bit outdated, I had the feeling of having seen most stuff already and I didn't leave feeling enriched. In 2022 I bielieve gender fluidity is something normal and rather accepted, but you must understand that I am Venetian and here... well, there is no novelty in having different sexual preferences or mixing with people from other countries and cultures!Anyway, some pavilions were really interesting. My favourite, the Italian pavilion at Arsenale and the Spanish pavilion in Giardini.
OTHER EXHIBITIONS I haven't seen yet but are on my list: - Peggy Guggenheim Museum 'Surrealism and Magic: Enchanted Modernity' - Casa dei Tre Oci 'Sabine Weiss. The poetry of the instant'
- Museo Correr 'Acensions. Huong Dodinh'
- Fondazione Prada 'Human Brains'
- W.JMarriott Hotel - Andrea Morucchio
.
P.P.S. I also loved the retrospective at Ca' Pesaro dedicated to artist Afro Basaldella and Claire TaTabouret's exhibit in Palazzo Cavanis!
So, as you can imagine... there is really a lot to do this year and in this post I only mentioned some of the official exhibits, but ... yeah, consider all the collateral pavilions and private galleries and artists that are here for the summer! You will need good walking shoes and perhaps, to come a couple of times ;)
I think my favourite Biennale pavillion was the Swiss one. The dark room with the orange light, which reminded of sunrises and/or fire and temporarily lit the structures in the obscurity was marvellous.
I was lucky because I was alone in the Spanish pavillion for a few minutes and then I found it quiet impressive, but as soon as I heard groups of people walking and talking in the rooms they lost their magic.
In the Arsenale (or was it the main exhibition space in the Giardini?) I liked the Paula Regno room the best, also the young female artists with non-western or mixed-cultural background like Bronwyn Katz and Candice Lin were very interesting and the bold and rather cheeky…