Beyond the Gardens and Arsenale

Visiting the Biennale isn’t just about exploring a single exhibition space; it’s also about discovering the hidden corners of Venice. Many national pavilions and collateral events take place in magnificent historic buildings outside the main areas of the Arsenale and Gardens. We recommend taking the time to explore these fascinating locations, rich in history and culture, that are off the beaten path.

Outdoor Exhibition Spaces

Be prepared to navigate open areas during your visit. Venice is an outdoor city with limited shelter from the elements, regardless of the season. You may encounter hot, sunny days as well as windy and rainy moments. The weather conditions contribute to Venice’s unique charm. When planning your visit, check the weather forecast to anticipate high tide, a fascinating phenomenon that can affect your itinerary.

Walking Long Distances

Depending on the number and location of the exhibitions, your visit could take several hours. Some areas may lack seating or resting spots, so keep in mind that you might be walking for an extended period. We recommend wearing comfortable shoes to fully enjoy the experience without discomfort.

Comfort During Your Visit

Some exhibition areas feature gravel paths and unpaved surfaces that may not be suitable for all types of footwear. Comfortable shoes will help you navigate between the various exhibition spaces and the city, which is known for its many bridges with steps.

Accessibility

Certain areas of Venice may not be easily accessible to all visitors, particularly those with physical disabilities or those traveling with wheelchairs or pushchairs. When planning your stay, we recommend checking the accessibility of the locations you intend to visit and preparing an itinerary that takes any potential access difficulties into account.

Charging Points

Venice’s numerous locations and exhibition spaces provide endless opportunities for photo shoots and video recordings. However, there are no specific charging points available. We recommend bringing a power bank or portable battery to ensure you can capture all your memories without worrying about your phone or camera battery life.

Now that we're ready, let's start our visit together. Take our map at your fingertips and let's go!

Waterbus: Arsenale Stop

After a short walk to reach the entrance and time needed to capture panoramic shots, we can finally enter and start our tour with a visit to the Pavilion of Saudi Arabia and Shifting Sands: A Battle Song, a solo project by Manal AlDowayan, one of the most significant contemporary artists in the country.
Entering the exhibition space, you will be fascinated by the imposing sculptures imitating desert roses, made of foam and raw silk, which evoke the delicacy and symbolism of the desert rose. Beyond its aesthetic beauty, the project involves the visitor with its content, which speaks of cultural transformations and the role of women in the country. Walking between one element and another, you will lose yourself in the discovery of silkscreened stories and texts that reflect the image of women through the media lens.

Open until 24 November 2024

Crossing the side entrance to the Saudi Arabia Pavilion, our visit continues with the presentation of the Pavilion of Mexico with 'As we marched away, we were always coming back...'.
Inside the space, large screens narrate scenes of migratory life, framing a large table set with sparkling white porcelain. The colour of the objects lights up with the surrounding reflections, taking on different shades depending on the reflected image and the angle from which we observe them, underlining the opportunity to acquire experiences through interaction with different cultures. Erick Meyenberg, the main artist, invites us to reconsider migration as a constant in human experiences, revealing the importance and role of the migratory phenomenon as a source of contamination and enrichment.

Open until 24 November 2024

Exiting the space, we head towards the building's stairs, where you can visit the Pavilion of Turkey with 'Hollow and Broken: A State of the World', an exhibition project that uses large-scale sculptural works to represent 'broken' and empty settings, symbolising a world hit by wars, migrations, environmental, and nuclear dangers. This project explores the country's complex contemporary socio-political issues through the personal and historical narratives of the artist, one of the most representative in the contemporary Greek panorama.

Open until 24 November 2024

We leave behind the Turkey Pavilion and continue our tour, starting again with the spaces on the ground floor with a visit to the Pavilion of Senegal and 'Bokk - Bounds', a solo project by artist Alioune Diagne. Through contemporary pointillism, the artist presents scenes of everyday life in the country, marked by constant migratory phenomena, also due to climate change. In the centre of the space, a large broken canoe catches the viewer's eye, inviting them to reflect on this theme, which is more relevant than ever in today's life.

Open until 24 November 2024

We continue towards the Pavilion of Malta with I WILL FOLLOW THE SHIP by artist Matthew Attard.
Once inside the space, you will be immersed in the discovery of large interactive panels that narrate a series of sea routes through distinctive signs. This exhibition explores the relationship between the sea and religion, offering a powerful metaphor of hope and survival. The project invites visitors to reflect on the need to reformulate the ways of acting and living together, in order to successfully navigate the uncharted waters of the information society.

Open until 24 November 2024

Passing through Malta, we come across the Pavilion of Lebanon, where artist Mounira Al Solh with 'A Dance with her Myth' has created a suggestive exhibition space halfway between myth and reality.
Her multimedia installation combines painting, drawing, sculpture, embroidery, and video, revisiting mythological tales and offering visitors alternative perspectives on the country's history.

Open until 24 November 2024

Finally, along the same route, our tour continues with the discovery of the Philippines Pavilion. Here we find the solo project 'Waiting Just Behind the Curtain of This Age' by Filipino artist Mark Salvatus, which invites reflection on daily politics and national historical narrative. Everything takes place in a mystical atmosphere, enriched by sounds and wind instruments, with projections of forest flora on a screen.

Open until 24 November 2024

We exit the exhibition corridor and cross the gravelled outdoor spaces of the picturesque Arsenale to reach the Pavilion of Uzbekistan.
Once inside, we immerse ourselves in the evocative installation by Aziza Kadyri, which recreates the atmosphere of a backstage inspired by the Houses of Culture of 20th century Eurasia. In the darkened room, we begin to explore the theatrical setting, featuring sculptures created from sketches of traditional costumes integrated with audiovisual materials produced by the Qizlar Collective. The artist invites us to 'Don't Miss the Cue', reflecting on critical themes such as migration, decolonisation, language, social invisibility, and the relationship between tradition and technology.

Open until 24 November 2024

The last project you can discover at the Arsenale is 'Atlas: Harmony in Diversity' by the Pavilion of China. This exhibition invites you to collect and bring together diverse identities, races, beliefs, concepts, and cultures, creating opportunities for mutual communication and understanding.
The idea of harmony and symbiosis in Chinese culture is represented by the character “集”, which shows three birds on a tree. As a verb, “集” means to gather and bring together, while as a noun, it indicates a collection of art or knowledge. Both uses emphasise the importance of integration and dialogue, fundamental values that the China Pavilion aims to convey through this exhibition.

Open until 24 November 2024

We leave the Arsenale exhibition space and head towards Giardini for a visit to the Pavilion of Finland and'The Pleasure We Choose'. This project features the work of three artists: Pia Lindman, Vidha Saumya, and Jenni-Juulia Wallinheimo-Heimonen. Their works, inspired by personal experiences, explore the structural, environmental, and social imbalances of the world through various techniques and media, celebrating the pleasure of the personal sphere as a powerful means to inhabit, imagine, and reinvent plural worlds.

Open until 24 November 2024

A moment of rest, because our tour continues.

As mentioned, the Biennale is not limited to hosting exhibition projects only in the spaces of the Arsenale and Giardini. Numerous events, including national pavilions and collateral events, take place in splendid palaces and locations in the city that are normally not accessible to the public, offering a unique opportunity to discover alternative heritage, beyond the traditional "walls".
After a break (and some reading), we resume our journey to explore the projects we had the pleasure of contributing to with our services.

Not far from the entrance to the Arsenale space, we head towards the Arsenale Warehouses. Here we can visit the Pavilion of Chile with 'Cosmonación' by artist Valeria Montti Colque. The focal point of the exhibition is a majestic sculpture over five metres high, depicting a mountain, a symbol of a safe haven for exiled and refugees. Around it, a multisensory environment is created with ceramic figures, textile pieces, and video projections, inviting visitors to immerse themselves in a unique and engaging experience.

Open until 24 November 2024

Close to the Chile Pavilion, it is also possible to visit the exhibition 'Mythologiques' by the artist Tomokazu Matsuyama. This exhibition is a journey through vibrant images and colours that explore the complexity of globalised society. The works present fantastic scenes of contemporary life, combining the iconography of ancient Japan with Western canons in an original form of American pop art.

Open until 24 November 2024

Returning to the National Pavilions, it should be noted that for its second participation in the Venice Biennale, the Sultanate of Oman has chosen to collaborate with us for the production of 'Malath-Haven', a collective project involving five artists: Alia Al Farsi, Ali Al Jabri, Essa Al Mufarji, Sarah Al Olaqi and Adham Al Farsi. Inspired by the concept of “malath” (port in Arabic), the exhibition invites visitors to embark on a metaphorical and artistic journey, exploring themes of multicultural heritage, identity, belonging, and diaspora. Through different art forms, the works reflect on Oman’s profound history of welcome and refuge, celebrating the richness of cultural exchanges and the strength of human connections.

Open until 24 November 2024

If you are in Venice, you absolutely cannot miss Piazza San Marco and the magnificent bell tower. Turn your gaze towards the Clock Tower and under the arcades of this enchanting square, you will find the entrance to the Procuratie Vecchie exhibition space, which houses The Human Safety Net and the exhibition 'About Us' by the artist Tracey Snelling.
Upon entering the space, your gaze will be captivated by towers of small houses glued together to represent large modern cities. These somewhat alienated structures, designed by the artist, enclose a myriad of worlds and narratives in which each of us can find interpretations or identify with.

Open until 24 March 2024

We head towards the Ponte dell'Accademia to admire one of the most beautiful views of the city and the Grand Canal. After dedicating ourselves to a few shots to capture the moment, we continue our cultural visit in the city.
Only until the end of July, don't miss the exhibition 'Jim Dine: 'Dog on the Forge' hosted inside the marvellous Palazzo Rocca Contarini Corfu. Here the artist Jim Dine presents large installations created specifically for this edition of the Biennale, along with paintings and sculptures never before exhibited. The exhibition includes 32 works of art, including paintings, drawings, bronze and wood sculptures.

Open until 21 July 2024

What fascinates us about contemporary art is its ability to offer opportunities to review the classics and present new perspectives. This is evident at the Fondacion Valmont at Palazzo Bonvicini, which presents with our contribution 'ULYSSES, we are all heroes', a fascinating project that brings together the works of four international artists: Gayle Chong Kwan, Stephanie Blake, ISAO and Didier Guillon. These artists reinterpret and revisit the classic tale of the Odyssey in a contemporary key.
Exploring this project means embarking on a conceptual journey of wonder and contemplation.

Open until 23 February 2025

Our tour of the city of Venice and the projects we curated for this edition of the Biennale ends here.
We hope that our editorial guide has been to your liking and can enrich your experience during the live visit.

We also invite you to take us with you and consult our map available at this link, to further explore the city and its heritage.
Don't forget to take photos and tag us along your journey: we will be happy to share your moments on our social channels.

#ArtIsInTheProcess and now enjoy your visit!

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Giulia Barigelli
Communication Manager