The Venetian Biennale

The Biennale di Venezia, the art biennial, takes place every two years since 1895 and offers an excellent overview about the current and worldwide tendencies of the contemporary art. Its major arena is the Giardini, the gardens, in the suburb Castello, where 28 different nations present their artworks, each in a separate pavilion. All other countries are in locations spread all over the city, in churches, Palazzi or embassies. In the Arsenale, the former shipyard of the Republic of Venice, a board of trustees assorts a theme-based exhibition for every biennial. Usually, it takes place between May and November.

The Peggy-Guggenheim-Collection in the Ca’Venier dei Leoni is among the most significant museums of contemporary European and American art in Italy. The art collector and Venetian-by-choice Peggy Guggenheim purchased the Palazzo in 1949. Today, you can visit here an excellent collection of the artworks of the first half of the 20th century, especially of the surrealism and cubism. You can find works of Picasso, Mondrian, Brancusi and many other and a sculpture collection from the 20th century is presented in the garden.