Venice Biennale

What is the Venice Biennale?

The Venice Biennale is the most prestigious art exhibition in the world. It is not a market where works are sold directly, but a careful selection of the best of what is happening in the art world right now. You can look at it as a great survey of where contemporary art is moving.

How often and where is it held?

The biennale is held, as the name suggests, once every two years, in Venice, Italy. That is precisely why it is called a biennale. Art is presented, among other places, in so-called national pavilions, where each country shows what it has come with.

Why does it matter (for the market too)?

The biennale shows who and what is essential in the art world right now, and so shapes artists' reputations years in advance. Taking part, or winning an award, can make an artist's name markedly more visible, which sooner or later feeds through into the interest of galleries and collectors. It is also often a political gesture, as the dispute over Polish participation in 2024 showed — the edition themed Foreigners Everywhere.

What is the Czech and Slovak trace?

Czechoslovakia — or rather the joint Czech and Slovak pavilion — was represented at the 2009 biennale by the conceptual artist Roman Ondák. Taking part in this exhibition is among the most valuable achievements an artist from our countries can attain internationally. No wonder the question of who will be chosen to represent the country goes with it.

— Anna Pulkertová, founder of Art Part Club