VIRTUAL Barcelona

Abstract

This paper contributes to a deeper understanding of how cultural institutions, such as the Venice Biennale, can shape and are shaped by the urban landscapes they inhabit. The Venice Biennale, one of the most prestigious cultural institutions globally, significantly impacts the city of Venice and the life of Venetians. Continuously growing for more than a century, the Biennale has expanded its influence deep into the urban fabric of Venice, creating a nuanced and, at times, ambiguous relationship with the city. The study explores the urban dynamics between the Biennale and Venice through questions related to preservation and heritage, accessibility of urban areas, and participation. More precisely, it investigates the modes of the current use of the Biennale’s spaces, Giardini and Arsenale, by examining the transformation of the public gardens of Giardini into a periodically opened exhibition space and the Biennale’s exclusive use of the Arsenale medieval shipyard. The research also addresses the Biennale’s ownership of numerous other spaces within the city that contribute to Venice’s’ monopolisation’, manifested through increasing rent prices, reducing available housing and other social and economic aspects. Particularly focusing on the 18th Venice Architecture Biennale, “The Laboratory of the Future,” held in 2023, this paper also aims to demonstrate how the latest edition of the Biennale of Architecture addressed the institution’s relationship with Venice. By dissecting the positive and negative dimensions of the Biennale – Venice dynamics, the research exposes their cultural pasts and presents to look into the urban future.