Facce da Biennale

The images in the exhibition tell the story of Italy’s most important, world-famous contemporary art event, the Venice Art Biennale, from the point of view of its visitors. Since it was first held in 1895, the Venetian event has been the object of increasing attention from the public.It is a public not only of figures from the art world – artists, curators, critics, collectors, and journalists – for whom it is the go-to get-together event, but also personalities from the worlds of politics and entertainment, and more and more simple sightseers and art lovers.

The photographs depict the openings of the biggest exhibitions held in the national pavilions in the time span between 1948 and 1986. The exhibition opens with a portrait of Palma Bucarelli, director of the Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna in Rome from 1942 to 1975, pictured in front of a Picasso at the 1948 Biennale.

And then we get to the series of images of the 1968 protest biennale, amid demonstrations and refusals to participate, or the opposite, artists like Pino Pascali exhibiting in the conviction that his revolutionary works were a protest in themselves.

Opening times (June and September):
Wednesday – Friday: 11 am–1 pm / 4–7 pm
Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays: 11 am–7 pm

Opening times (July and August):
Wednesday – Sunday: 3–7 pm