Beyond the Biennale: Here Are 14 Shows and Events Worth Seeking Out in Venice Outside the Main Event
Get away from the Arsenale and Giardini to scope out these must-see shows.
artnet News, May 3, 2019
Venice. Photo by Frédéric Soltan/Corbis via Getty Images.
It would take a Herculean stamina to see everything in both the Giardini and the Arsenale and keep an eye out for all of the collateral events and exhibitions taking place in Venice next week. That’s why we’ve combed all the announcements to bring you this selection of 14 off-site highlights.
From Edmund de Waal’s intervention at the Jewish Ghetto to a celebration of Georg Baselitz at the Academy Galleries to a concert featuring artist-musicians in one of the most resplendent theaters in Europe, here’s what you’ll want to keep on your radar.
“Helen Frankenthaler: Pittura/Panorama“
What: This show marks the first time Helen Frankenthaler‘s paintings have been shown in Venice since the 1966 biennale, when her work appeared in the US Pavilion. Fourteen paintings spanning a 40-year period focus on the interplay between the titular pittura—painting—and the panorama—large, horizontal paintings that open onto shallow but expansive spaces.
When: May 7–November 17, 2019
Where: Museo di Palazzo Grimani, Castello, 4858A, Venice
“Georg Baselitz: Baselitz—Academy”
Georg Baselitz, Schlafzimmer (Bedroom) (1975). ©Georg Baselitz Treuhandstiftung. Photo: Jochen Littkemann.
What: The storied German painter is the first living artist to be feted with a retrospective at Venice’s Academy Galleries. Curated by art historian Kosme de Barañano, the show will cover Baselitz’s six-decade-long career and will include a section dedicated to work he made in response to Italy and the academic tradition.
When: May 8-September 8, 2019
Where: Gallerie dell’Accademia di Venezia, Campo della Carità Dorsoduro 1050, 30123 Venice
“Edmund de Waal: psalm“
psalm. Courtesy of the artist. ' width='960' height='736' style='box-sizing:border-box;border:0px;vertical-align:middle;max-width:100%;height:auto;margin:0px;padding:0px;width:auto' tabindex='0'>Installation view of Edmund de Waal’s psalm. © Edmund de Waal 2019. Courtesy of the artist.
What: Artist Edmund de Waal is bringing his immaculate, delicately hewn ceramics into a place that’s shrouded in darkness and trauma: the Venetian ghetto, where Jews were forced to live in exile, separated from the Christian population. The installation will consist of several vitrines filled with porcelain, marble, and gold sculptures to reflect on the historical legacy of those living in the ghetto.
When: May 8–September 29, 2019
Where: Scuola Canton, Calle Orto 1191, and Ateneo Veneto, Campo San Fantin 1897, Venetian Ghetto
“Arshile Gorky: 1904-1948“
Arshile Gorky, Portrait of Myself and My Imaginary Wife (1933–34). Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC. Photo by Lee Stalsworth.
What: This show marks the first retrospective survey of the US artist Arshile Gorky in Italy. More than 80 works spanning the career of the pivotal figure in 20th-century American art will be showcased in the exhibition organized by art historian Gabriella Belli and Royal Academy of Arts curator Edith Devany .
When: May 8 through September 22, 2019
Where: Ca’ Pesaro – International Gallery of Modern Art, Santa Croce 2076, Venice
“Sean Scully: Human“
Sean Scully, Wall 3 (2017). Courtesy of Sean Scully.
What: The Benedictine monks who are in residence at this Venetian basilica aim to bring the church’s activities in contact with contemporary art. For Scully’s part, the Irish artist will show new sculptures, paintings, and drawings inspired by the monks’ manuscript collection, as well as the architecture of the church.
When: May 8 through October 13, 2019
Where: Church of San Giorgio Maggiore, Isola di S.Giorgio Maggiore, 30133, Venice
“Encores: Music on Recurrence, Redundancy and Surplus“
The Venice Theater, courtesy of Art Monte Carlo and Art Geneve.
What: In this concert of works by artist-musicians including Pierre Huyghe, Jonathan Monk, Annika Larsson, Anri Sala, each of the performances is inspired by the concept of an ‘encore,’ used here as a metaphor for recurrence, reiteration, and change. The show is curated by the composer Augustin Maurs.
When: May 9, 2019, at 8 p.m.
Where: Teatro del Stabile Veneto, Carlo Goldoni San Marco, 4650/B, 30124, Venice
“BURRI: la pittura, irriducible presenza”
Alberto Burri, Rosso Plastica M3 (1961). Fondazione Palazzo, Albizzini Collezione Burri.
What: An expansive retrospective of 50 works honoring the so-called “Master of Materials,” this show spans the entirety of Burri’s career and covers the breadth of his interest in unusual materials, including tar and plastic.
When: May 10 through July 28, 2019
Where: Fondasione Giorgio Cini Onlus, Isola di San Giorgio Maggiore, Venice
“Gunther Förg: Förg in Venice“
Günther Förg Untitled (2005). © Estate Günther Förg, Suisse / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2019
Courtesy of the estate of Günther Förg, Suisse and Hauser & Wirth.
What: Bold abstract works by the late German post-war artist Günther Förgwill be installed in a magnificent historic palace right on the Grand Canal.
When: May 11 through August 23, 2019
Where: Palazzo Contarini Polignac, Sestiere Dorsoduro, 874, 30123, Venice
Jannis Kounellis at the Fondazione Prada
Greek artist Jannis Kounellis on March 8, 2016 at the Monnaie de Paris. Photo: Thomas Samson/AFP/Getty Images.
What: A major retrospective dedicated to the late Greek-Italian artist, who was a key figure in the Arte Povera movement, brings together 60 works from 1959 to 2015. The show was curated by Germano Celant.
When: May 11 through November 24, 2019
Where: Fondazione Prada, Venice Ca’ Corner Della Regina, Santa Croce 2215 30135, Venice
“There Is a Beginning at the End: the Secret Tintoretto Fraternity“
Dmitry Krymov, still from video installation, 2019. Courtesy of the artist.
What: Contemporary artists channel the spirit of Tintoretto and a secret Venetian brotherhood in an exhibition held in an historic church, all organized by Moscow’s Pushkin Museum and the Stella Art Foundation.
When: May 11 through September 11, 2019
Where: Chiesa de San Fantin: Campo San Fantin, San Marco 1390/a, Venice
“Future Generation Art Prize” Exhibition
Emilija Škarnulytė, installation view. Courtesy of the artist.
What: The exhibition of 21 artists who made the cut for the Pinchuk Center’s shortlist for the annual art prize will be on display to coincide with the Venice Biennale. This year is especially exciting as it’s the 10th anniversary of the prize, and the list is chock full of contemporary art darlings including Toyin Ojih Odutol, Sondra Perry, and the winner, Lithuanian artist Emilija Škarnulytė.
When: May 11 through August 18, 2019
Where: Palazzo Ca’Tron, IUAV University Santa Croce 1957, 30135, Venice
“Philippe Parreno: Displacing Realities“
Philippe Parreno in Venice. Courtesy Espace Louis Vuitton.
What: A brand new installation by the French artist involving the development of microorganisms, Parreno has wallpapered the space with yellow phosphorescent paper, and will play with a mechanical mirrored shutter to adjust the light to evoke an interesting echo of the reactions of the microorganisms.
When: May 11 through November 24, 2019
Where: Espace Louis Vuitton Venezia, San Marco 1353, 30124, Venice
“Luc Tuymans: La Pelle“
Luc Tuymans, Schwarzheide, 2019, Fantini Mosaici, Milano, installation view at Palazzo Grassi, 2019. © Palazzo Grassi, Photography by Delfino Sisto Legnani e Marco Cappelletti.
What: This major survey of more than 80 figurative paintings from 1986 until today will include the Belgian artist’s new site-specific piece.
When: On view through January 6, 2020
Where: Palazzo Grassi, San Samuele 3231, Venice
“Adrian Ghenie: the Battle Between Carnival and Feast”
Adrian Ghenie, Figure with Dog (2019). Courtesy of the artist and Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac, London· Paris, Salzburg. © Adrian Ghenie.
What: Recent paintings by the influential Romanian painter, some of which have been created specifically for this exhibition, will be showcased in this historic museum setting. United by the theme of water, the works on view will reflect the maritime history of Italy’s floating city as well as engage some of the tougher questions about contemporary geopolitics.
When: On view through November 18, 2019
Where: Palazzo Cini Gallery, Campo San Vio, Dorsoduro 864, Venice
