Buongiorno from Venice – Fresh back from the Biennale

#thearttrotter amavenezia anishkapoor artcollector arthistory contemporaryart contemporaryartcollector fondazionedriesvannoten learnart lukehamelcooke otobongnkanga venicebienanle venicebiennale2026 May 17, 2026

Buongiorno!

Fresh back from Venice, I wanted to share a few impressions from the extraordinary pre-opening days of the Venice Biennale — that one moment every two years when the entire art world seems to gather in one floating city. 🛶

Artists, curators, collectors, museum directors, cultural ministers from across the globe all arrive in Venice at once, chasing the first glimpse of what may shape the future of contemporary art. 🖼

This year’s Biennale feels especially emotional and politically charged.

The atmosphere was shaped in part by the sudden passing of head curator Koyo Kouoh last year, whose team had to bring her vision for this year's theme In Minor Keys to life without her.

Despite a record 100 nations participating this year — offering a rare opportunity to discover art from almost every corner of the world — the Biennale also became the centre of major political tensions and protests.

Heated discussions even led to the entire jury resigning shortly before the opening, making this the first Biennale where the traditional awards will be decided by public vote instead. 🏆

However, the art is still there — and for better or worse, it remains there for us to discover, experience, appreciate, and judge for ourselves.

With the British artist Luke Hamel Cooke next to his sculpture

Beyond the Biennale itself, the entire city is overflowing with blockbuster exhibitions, bringing together art you may only have the chance to experience once in your lifetime, all in one place and moment in time.

Some of my personal highlights included Hans Hartung’s major retrospective, Georg Baselitz’s site-specific murals, and Emilia Kabakov’s beautiful social artwork created together with more than 700 Venetians she invited to participate. 🎯 I also loved the rare chance to see Anish Kapoor’s works in progress thanks to the artist's own studio in town.

On top of that there is Venice’s growing world of private art foundations, where I especially enjoyed the two newcomers AMA Venezia and Fondazione Dries Van Noten.

Anish Kapoor

And perhaps that is what makes the Venice Biennale so extraordinary. It is not the Venice most people think of — romance, canals, gondolas, and tourists.

It is a city transformed into a place where new artistic stars are discovered and the future of art history begins to take shape.

👉 If reading this made you dream about experiencing the Venice Biennale from the inside – wandering through hidden palazzos, discovering extraordinary art, and seeing the city through the eyes of someone who knows it deeply – send us an email to team@thearttrotter.com and I’ll share more about the special journey I’m planning for this fall.

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Buongiorno from Venice – Fresh back from the Biennale

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