Venice Architecture Biennale 2023: Information, tickets and events
Venice, a city rich in history, art and creativity, has been a crossroads for travellers and cultures for centuries. It is precisely in this exceptional context that extraordinary works from all over the world come together every year for the Biennale, one of the most important and popular international cultural events.
The Venice Biennale is the perfect opportunity to discover works in all forms and admire the unique atmosphere of the lagoon city. But let’s discover together why this event is so unmissable!
What is the Venice Biennale?
The Venice Biennale, now one of the most prestigious art events in the world, dates back to 1895 and was the brainchild of Riccardo Selvatico, the Mayor of Venice and a frequent visitor to the Caffè Florian in St. Mark’s Square, one of Italy’s most popular intellectual salons.
The idea was born with the aim of promoting contemporary art and encouraging Italian artistic production. In a few years, following its great success, the event was extended to include international artists, and was enriched with new sections, such as music (since 1930), cinema (since 1932), theatre (since 1934), architecture (since 1980) and dance (since 1999).
Over the years, the main cultural events have been the Art Bienniale and the Architecture Bienniale, held alternately in odd and even years respectively (a trend reversed due to the interruption for Covid-19).
The Architecture Biennale, scheduled for 2023, will continue to be held in the historic venues of the exhibition, namely the Giardini and the Arsenale in Venice. On this occasion, the world’s best architects and designers will present their latest works and projects, focusing on presenting the latest trends and innovations in architecture and design, with the aim of exploring and communicating the role of architecture in contemporary society.
“The Laboratory of the Future”: 18th International Architecture Exhibition
The Laboratory of the Future: this is the theme of the 18th International Exhibition of the Venice Biennale, curated this year by British-Ghanaian architect Lesley Lokko. For the first time, the spotlight the African continent and diaspora will be on the spotlight. With this choice, Lokko emphasises the importance of cultural events in broadening the concept of culture and representing voices that have been historically ignored.
The Laboratory of the Future will be a six-part exhibition involving 89 participants, more than half of whom are from Africa or the African diaspora. The state of Niger will be making its debut at the Architecture Biennale, while Panama will be presenting itself as a single country for the first time. Furthermore, the Holy See will return to the Architecture Biennale with its own pavilion, after making its debut at the 2018 edition. Finally, the Italian pavilion will be located in the Tese delle Vergini area of the Arsenale, and will be curated by the Fosbury Architecture collective. The title of the exhibition is SPAZIALE: Ognuno appartiene a tutti gli altri (everyone belongs to everyone else).
Venice Biennale: dates and tickets
The International Architecture Exhibition takes place from 20th May to 26th November 2023 (with a pre-opening on 18th and 19th May). Tickets are available exclusively online for €25 and includes access to the two exhibition venues, Arsenale and Giardini, which can also be visited on different days. Reductions are available for under 26s, over 65s, groups and students to make the event accessible to all.
Other must-see events at the Venice Biennale
During the Biennale period, there will be many cultural events not to be missed: performances, concerts, theatre shows, conferences, workshops and much more. Moreover, some of the proposed collateral activities will be free and accessible to all visitors, thus offering an inclusive cultural experience open to different sensibilities.
Let us discover together the details of the main cultural events taking place during the months of the Biennale!
Theatre Biennale
This year, in addition to the Architecture Biennale, several other events will take place, including the 51st International Theatre Festival. The festival will take place from 15 June to 1 July 2023, at the venues of Ca’ Giustinian and the Arsenale, and will present the shows Naturae by Armando Punzo and Het land nod by FC Bergman.
Dance Biennale
The International Festival of Contemporary Dance will also take place this summer, from 13 to 29 July 2023 at the venues of Ca’ Giustinian and the Arsenale. During these dates it will be possible to attend the performances 11 and 13&14 of the TAO Dance Theatre company.
Cinema Biennale
This year sees the 80th edition of the Venice International Film Festival, organised by the Biennale di Venezia and directed by Alberto Barbera. The festival will be held at the Venice Lido from 30th August to 9th September 2023.
Music Biennale
Closing the Venice Biennale, together with the Architecture Biennale, will be the 67th edition of the International Festival of Contemporary Music, which will take place from 16 to 29 October 2023, at the venues of Ca’ Giustinian and the Arsenale. This year’s performances include Ships by Brian Eno and Knock by Miller Puckette.
Discover Venice and the Lido with us!
Why not take advantage of the pleasant late-season temperatures and spend a day of culture at the Venice Biennale to make your summer even more memorable?
Alternatively, we offer a range of activities in the Serenissima including a guided tour of Venice or a pleasant boat trip to discover Murano, Burano and Torcello. It does not matter whether you are travelling with your camper van or prefer to stay in one of our lodges, mobile homes or bungalows. We have different special offers to suit all your needs.