The Venice Biennale is an international exhibition of contemporary art that began in 1895 at the Giardini di Castello. In the 1930s, the organising body of the Biennale split, dividing the Biennale into different segments: contemporary art (since 1895); contemporary music (since 1930); cinema (since 1932); theatre (since 1934); architecture (1980); and finally dance (1989).
The various exhibition sections of the Biennale, which used to take place every two odd-numbered years, are now more sporadic. However, the main event, the Biennale's International Art Exhibition, continues every two years. The Public Gardens lend themselves perfectly to the lively event, which features works by contemporary artists from all over the world.
Another main venue for the Biennale includes the Arsenale, with pavilions inside and outside. The Arsenale incorporates Venice's historic buildings such as the Corderie, Artiglierie, Sale d'Armi, Tese, Gaggiandre and Tese dell'Isolotto.
Italian and German art were more in vogue at the first Biennale exhibitions. Shortly afterwards, French art also became established. The notion of individual exhibitions was only adopted at the time of the third La Biennale and continues to this day. Over forty countries are represented at this Biennale and all have designated areas that are never removed.
The Biennale runs from June to November in odd-numbered years, but if you're looking for Biennale-related things at other times, don't worry. Visitors can see the Peggy Guggenheim Museum, which contains collections from past biennials, or visit the Palazzo Corner at Ca' Grande to see other Biennale exhibitions.
The famous film section of the Biennale is known as the Venice Film Festival. It lasts less than two weeks a year and starts in late August or early September. The number of nominations for the Venice Film Festival has increased over the years to almost two dozen films. The winner of the Golden Lion award is guaranteed a position in the Olympus of cinematography for life.
The public can buy tickets for some of the screenings just over a month in advance. Most of the screenings take place at the Palazzo del Cinema on the Lungomare Marconi.
The International Architecture Exhibition of the Biennale is one of the most recent and popular exhibitions of the Venice Biennale. The Architecture Exhibition is held every two years, usually between August and September. Each time a different central theme is presented in which architects from all over the world showcase their projects. The venues of the International Architecture Exhibition of the Biennale are either the Arsenale or the Giardini.
The International Theatre Festival of the Biennale di Venezia started in 1934 and is an annual event. It includes several workshops with different themes. It is usually held in autumn and lasts one week. In 1973 the sections International Festival of Contemporary Music and Theatre of the Biennale were merged. These dynamic performing arts take place in the Teatro Piccolo Arsenale located in Campo della Tana.
The music festival La Biennale di Venezia was founded in 1930 and is held in conjunction with the International Art Exhibition. The dance section of the Biennale was established in 1998 and usually runs from September to October.
The Venice Biennale has a lot to offer, and you should plan a trip with the dates in mind.