Venice Biennale

The Venice Biennale – La Biennale di Venezia was founded in 1895 and it is now one of the most famous and prestigious cultural organisations in the world. 

La Biennale, who stands at the forefront of research and promotion of new contemporary art trends, organises exhibitions and research in all its specific sectors: Arts (1895), Architecture (1980), Cinema (1932), Dance (1999), Music (1930), and Theatre (1934). Its history is documented at the Historical Archives of Contemporary Arts (Asac) that recently has been completely renovated.

This exhibition model has led to a pluralism of expressions: in order to accommodate them the exhibition spaces have grown for strategic needs, including an ambitious restoration of the Arsenale area which is still going on. The Art Biennale has been recognised as the world leader in contemporary art exhibitions and the countries participating have increased from 59 (in 1999) to 80 in 2022. The Architecture Biennale has also been recognised as the best in the world.

The relationship with the local community has been strengthened through educational activities and guided visits, with the participation of a growing number of schools from the Veneto region and beyond. In all sectors there have been more research and production opportunities addressed to the younger generation of artists, directly in contact with recognised teachers; this has become more systematic and continuous through the international project Biennale College, now running in the Dance, Theatre, Music, and Cinema sections.