The art world is abuzz, and Venice is on everyone’s lips. Which shows should you see?! Which events to attend?! Which pavilion will win the prestigious Golden Lion Award?! The 60th edition of the ‘Arte Biennale’, the world’s most renowned and oldest-running international art exhibition, will open to the public on Saturday, 20 April 2024. For those who can’t wait, there is a pre-opening known as the vernissage, from Wednesday 17th April.

This edition, titled Stranieri Ovunque—Foreigners Everywhere, is curated by Brazilian curator Adriano Pedrosa, the artistic director of the Museu de Arte de São Paulo Assis Chateaubriand. Adriano is the first Latin American to be awarded this role!

The city comes alive with artistic presentations, from the national pavilions unveiled by over 50 countries mostly across the two main sites, the Giardini and the Arsenale, to collateral exhibitions presented in the most unique and wonderful churches and architectural hidden gems. Here are our team picks of the exhibitions!

WILLEM DE KOONING

GALLERIE DELL’ACCADEMIA DI VENEZIA | CAMPO DELLA CARITÀ 1050

16 April – 15 September 2024

This is a major exhibition dedicated to Willem de Kooning, one of the most innovative and influential artists of the 20th century. It is the first exhibition to explore the impact the artist’s two Italian sojourns in 1959 and 1969 had on his work.

JULIE MEHRETU. ENSEMBLE

PALAZZO GRASSI | CAMPO SAN SAMUELE 3231

17 March 2024 – 6 January 2025

Julie Mehretu's expansive European exhibition features over fifty works spanning 25 years, including recent pieces. The show highlights interconnected relationships shaping Mehretu's art and her connection to displaced artists from Ethiopia, Iran, and Pakistan.

VATICAN PAVILION: WITH MY EYES

GIUDECCA WOMEN’S PRISON | GIUDECCA | 105, 30124

17 April - 24 November 2024

A groundbreaking multimedia installation inside the women’s prison featuring works by eight artists, including Maurizio Cattelan, Simone Fattal and Corita Kent. Many of the works have been created with active participation of inmates. The Pope himself will be visiting, so steer clear of 28 April when the show will likely be closed for his attendance.

SHAHZIA SIKANDER: COLLECTIVE BEHAVIOUR

PALAZZO SORANZO VAN AXEL | Cannaregio 6099, 6071, 6072, 30121

20 April – 20 October 2024

Shahzia Sikander: Collective Behavior, co-organized by The Cincinnati Art Museum (CAM) and the Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA), is the most comprehensive exhibition of the artist's work. She will unveil new works that engage with Venice's history, architecture, and global narratives of trade.

EWA JUSZKIEWICZ: LOCK WITH LEAVES AND SWELLING BUDS

PALAZZO CAVANIS | DORSODURO 920, 30123

18 April – 1 September 2024

Ewa Juszkiewicz’s solo exhibition demonstrates her technical finesse through layered and glazed renditions of old portraits. The intentional covering of historical faces challenges traditional portraiture, transforming them into potent symbols of women's struggles under patriarchy.

The Cultivist provides an expertly curated programme for members travelling during the vernissage period. For those travelling independently, our brochure offers insider tips, helpful maps, a rundown of the best pavilions, must-see exhibitions, and more!

If you’d like to join as a Club member now to save your spot at exclusive events, including a Private Cocktail with Jimmy Choo at the Galleria dell Accademia to view the Willem de Kooning show and our coveted Artist’s Lunch with Acqua di Parma, inquire here.