Artists reunion or artist competition ? Every two years, the world turns its head for over seven months towards the Venice Biennale. At first, it was perceived as a simple art event whose objective was to showcase artwork but up close it was so much more than that. Could it be considered to be a celebration of creativity, a playground for the luxury clientele, or both? It has become throughout the years the place to be for just about anyone in the art world. For artists, being chosen to showcase their art work there is a privilege, for collectors to be invited is a blessing and for everyone else it is a discovery.
Indeed, it all began on the 30th of April 1895, with the inauguration of an art exhibition in the Giardini di Castello in Venice, demanded by the Venetian City council and patronned by the mayor of Venice, Riccardo Selvatico. Mainly it was done in order to celebrate the silver wedding of the King Umberto and Queen Margharita di Savoia. With over two hundred thousand people attending at the time, this show of artwork proved that this had to become a recurring event since it was installed – its essential goal was to focus and celebrate contemporary art as well as promoting Venice as a cultural capital, and on a larger scale it was Italy hosting the first large scale international art exhibitions.
Initially, it mainly focused on Italian artists although over time it began to diffuse international works of art through the creation of National Pavilions. These pavilions, each from different countries, were initiated with the one created in 1907 by Belgium, thus permitting each country to showcase their countries’ cultural heritage. It also allowed such countries to point out and interpret contemporary concepts and issues. At that time, the biennale was seen as a place to be attended by the aristocracy in order to socialize and it was, and still is, a travel destination. Nowadays, it is not only an art world event but also a networking opportunity for artists and collectors, which can potentially lead them to find investment worthy pieces that have been influential. As any other major event in the world today, it is massively reported and influencers attend to film the social media part making it possible for it to attract a wealthy clientele.
Due to the fact that it is a Biennale, this art event happens every two years. Whilst it began simply as an art showcase, the initiation of the Biennale of Architecture in 1980 paved the way for a wider range of cultural events such as a music biennale, a dance biennale and even a film biennale.
For every Biennale, a new theme is chosen to set the tone for the art work displayed that year. Its artistic director spends years preparing and carefully handpicking artists whose work align with the focus of that Biennale, most are invited to the main exhibit which takes place in the Arsenal, the old Venetian shipyard; however, for the national pavilions, each country decides who to pick and how to interpret the main theme. Some countries decide to implement an artistic competition, others invite the artist who has the task to work with the theme to create something magical to represent their country in the Giardini. Often the themes are there to address pressing global issues. For example the 2022 theme, “The milk of dreams”, chosen by the artistic director at the time, Cecilia Alemani, explored the post covid human transformation and aimed to rethink humanity in relation to nature and technology.
In a way, the biennale of Venice can be interpreted as a competition for the artists displaying their artwork since it awards prizes to recognize outstanding artistic achievements through the Leone d’Oro that goes to the best national participation, then to the best artist through the lifetime achievement given to the artist that has made significant contributions to the contemporary art world. Additionally, the Leone d’Argento is awarded to a promising young artist, therefore to emerging talent. Finally, the jury can give Special Mentions to individual artists who have made impactful contributions.
Venice during this time period of the year, meaning from the months of May to November, becomes a major tourism hub since the Biennale has surpassed the status of an art event, it has essentially become a business. In fact, it is run as a business, with a president, currently Roberto Ciccutoo, who has been appointed by the Italian Ministry of Culture as well as a board of directors which oversees the strategy behind the Biennale. Finally, there are the artistic directors who in the case of the Art Biennale select the central exhibition, the participants, the theme and the layout. The whole event is managed by an administrative team that handles logistics, marketing, sponsorship and partnership.
Sponsorships play a big part in making the Biennale possible every year since they create funding like American Express did this year in the 2024 Venetian Biennale. Low price ticket sales has made it possible for the Biennale to become more broadly accessible.
This world art reunion, in the days preceding the public opening, includes collateral events and succeeds in attracting wealthy clientele by having tailored luxury experiences. For example, VIP previews are crafted to accommodate celebrities, royals and art collectors but also high-profile parties in Venice’s most stunning palazzos. As well as luxury hospitality with five star hotels like the Gritti Palace and Aman Venice, private boat rides and concierge services add to the sense of exclusivity. Private tours can be arranged to gain an insider perspective from curators. Some exclusive showrooms like pop up boutiques are also present. The Biennale is a prime destination for wealthy collector scouting and there are auction houses’ present like Christie’s and Sotheby’s who often host events. Yet it is mostly the presence of celebrities that attract luxury clientele and media coverage.
Much of the Biennale is funded by private art galleries, companies and luxury brands that seek to market their goods to a high profile clientele.
Focusing on artists from all backgrounds, the Biennale has an objective: to express the reality of our world by keeping up with new technologies, embracing modernity and touching on current issues such as the environmental crisis.
In the end, the Biennale is beneficial for all, it is the thermometer of the art world, generating fruitful encounters and new artistic concepts. It is public, it is private and is also political. Everything is interweaved.
It is one of the, if not the most important art events in the art world.
