Venice Biennale
| Venice Biennale | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Biennale; focuses on contemporary art, and includes events for art, contemporary dance, architecture, cinema, and theatre |
| Frequency | Annual; the main exhibition alternates every second year between art and architecture |
| Location(s) | Venice, Italy |
| Coordinates | 45°25′44″N 12°21′31″E / 45.428889°N 12.358611°E |
| Inaugurated | 30 April 1895 |
| Founder | City Council of Venice |
| Organised by | The Biennale Foundation |
| Website | www.labiennale.org |
The Venice Biennale (/ˌbiːɛˈnɑːleɪ, -li/ BEE-en-AH-lay, -lee; Italian: la Biennale di Venezia [la bi.enˈnaːle di veˈnɛttsja]) is an international cultural exhibition hosted annually in Venice, Italy. There are two main components of the festival, known as the Art Biennale (la Biennale d'Arte di Venezia) and the Architecture Biennale (la Biennale d'Architettura di Venezia), which are held in alternating years (hence the name). There are also four additional components, each usually held on an annual basis, comprising Biennale Musica, Biennale Teatro, Venice Film Festival, and Venice Dance Biennale. Between them they cover contemporary art, architecture, music, theatre, film, and contemporary dance. The main exhibition is held in Castello and has around 30 permanent pavilions built by different countries.
The Biennale has been organised every year since 1895, which makes it the oldest of its kind. Since 2021, the Art Biennale has taken place in even years and the Architecture Biennale in odd years.