All You Need to Know About the Venice Biennale

At Artsper, we love to analyze all of the latest global cultural affairs. This includes exploring the evolving international art fair landscape. Together, let’s take a stroll through the Venice Biennale.

First established in 1895, the Venice Biennale is a cultural institution that, as its name indicates, takes place every two years in the city of Venice, Italy. The organization behind the global art event has supported the arts for over 120 years. Not only does the organization host one of the most anticipated art expositions, but it is also at the center of research and advancement of contemporary art. The institution does this through a number of initiatives which include various events that focus on specific sectors, such as arts, cinema, architecture, music, theater, and dance. The Venice Biennale now welcomes more than 500,000 visitors over a span of several months, making it the world’s biggest art exhibition. 

In celebration of women artists

The 59th International Art Exhibition returns to Venice from April 23 to November 27, 2022. The 2022 edition is curated by Cecilia Alemani, the first Italian woman to hold the important title. Alemani is a New York-based curator. She currently is the Director and Head Curator of High Line Art, a public outdoor space in New York’s Meatpacking and Chelsea districts. Alemani also has previous ties to the Biennale, having collaborated with the Italian Pavilion as curator for the Biennale Arte in 2017. 

Beyond her extensive and impressive career path, as an Italian woman with ties to the Venice Biennale, Alemani understands the weight of her curatorial choices on the international art community. Because of this, she made a historic lineup. Among the 213 artists selected for the 2022 edition, only 21 are male-identifying, a first for the Venice Biennale. It is the exposition’s first-ever female majority catalogue.

The title of the 2022 edition is, “The Milk of Dreams,” which references a series of drawings by Surrealist artist Leonora Carrington. Alemani declared that the edition will focus on three specific ideas of artistic inspiration: evolving representations of the human form, relationships to technology, and the association between people and the planet. The show highlights more than 1,000 artworks. 

A global lineup

The Venice Biennale will welcome 80 national contributors to the legendary Pavilions of Giardini, within the city center of Venice, and at the Venetian Arsenale, to display their artistic treasures. The international lineup includes 5 new participating countries: Uganda, Nepal, Sultanate of Oman, Republic of Cameroon, and Namibia. 

Located at Tese delle Vergini at the Venetian Arsenale is the Italian Pavilion. This year’s edition is sponsored by the Italian Ministry of culture and is curated by Eugenio Viola.

Committed to education

The Venice Biennale is devoted to the development of education throughout the art landscape. The organization is specifically targeting students from all educational levels and ages. Over the past two years, sincere initiatives have taken place to increase student participation. 

This year, an extensive educational program has been organized to continue previous developments. In 2022 the organization is specifically targeting individuals and groups. There is a growing incentive to reach children, families, students, adults, professionals, and even universities. The goal of the educational project is to have participants actively participate in the organization’s workshop activities and guided tours.  

Just one click away 

Do you want to visit the 2022 Venice Biennale but can’t travel to Italy? We’ve got you covered: several artists included in this year’s edition of the Venice Biennale are also available on Artsper! Discover a slice of “The Milk of Dreams,” from wherever you are, in our online exhibition!