Scotland and Venice Biennale

Exhibition History

History of the Venice Biennale of Art

Inaugurated in 1895, the Venice Biennale of Art is universally acknowledged as one of the world's most important contemporary visual art events.

2007 is the 52nd Venice Biennale of Art. Over 65 countries will exhibit and an estimated 900,000 visitors are likely to attend. The curator is American Robert Storr, the Rosalie Solow Professor of Modern Art at the Institute of Fine Arts, New York.

The historically more established national pavilions are sited in the Giardini Pubblici, in the East Castello district. In addition, a large curated international exhibition takes place in the buildings of the adjacent former naval dockyard, known as the Arsenale.

Other Biennale exhibitions take place in larger venues throughout the six districts. Smaller sites, including parks and the streets, host fringe exhibitions.

The Venice Biennale was first held in 1895 as the city's contribution to celebrations for the silver wedding anniversary of King Umberto I and Margherita of Savoy. During its first years it comprised of one exhibition, where artists from differing countries exhibited together under the patronage of an international committee. Individual countries were later encouraged to construct their own pavilions in the surrounding Giardini (Venice's public gardens in the Castello area), allowing them to promote their own artists.

These national pavilions (Britain's opened in 1909) remain central to the Biennale, but its ambition and the interest it has fostered internationally has meant its continual evolvement and expansion, beyond the gardens and across the city.

For more information, please visit: www.labiennale.org