Venice: a personal art tour of Italy’s lagoon city
We explore Venice's dynamic art scene and reveal our top picks for those seeking to immerse themselves in the city's cultural riches.
Art is as integral to daily life in Venice as the ever-present canals and stony alleyways. The entire city is an architectural masterpiece, its buildings filled with outstanding works, from the big ticket treasures collected in the Gallerie dell’ Accademia to more unexpected prizes: a Tintoretto in an unassuming local church or contemporary works in an historic studio beside the Rialto Bridge.
The creative arts feature even more prominently during the Venice Biennale, a celebration of art and architecture first held in 1895 and firmly established as one of the most prestigious dates in the art world’s calendar. The 60th Venice Biennale is now underway, running from April to 24th November this year, adding additional artistic fervour to the city, as local agent Serena Bombassei, a lifelong Venetian, explains
“As Venice prepares for the Biennale, the atmosphere is electric,” Bombassei says. “Everyone is researching the schedule, taking notes, planning their route to see as many events as possible, reserving restaurants and choosing their outfits. It’s frantic and fun, a fight to get the best invitations, just like during Frieze in London. Venice is charged with artistic energy.”
Year-round, an appreciation of art is a critical factor for many of Knight Frank’s clients, a desire to immerse themselves fully in the dynamic artist environment that Venice offers. Some are looking for a property suitable to hang their own private collection – ideally with high ceilings and few frescos – while others plan to spend leisurely time seeing first-hand the masterpieces collected in the city. And as a safe and compact city with low crime and little pollution, walking between galleries is part of the city’s appeal. Smaller exhibition spaces are found throughout San Marco with larger spaces more usually found in Giudecca and Cannaregio.
"Venice holds a distinct position in the international real estate market due to its rich cultural heritage and unique lifestyle, attracting buyers seeking a slower pace of life and historical significance," explains Andrew Blandford-Newton, Senior Negotiator and International Agent at Knight Frank. "International buyers want properties near iconic landmarks, and high ceilings and original frescos are often on the wish list.”
Blandford-Newton adds that stringent planning regulations and limited space for new developments means existing properties in prime locations consistently experience price growth. "The demand for turnkey properties has notably increased since the pandemic. Developments such as Palazzo Ponte Piccolo, comprising seven brand-new luxury residences on the island of Giudecca, reflect a shift towards convenience and immediacy among buyers."
“Art is at the heart of the city because Venice is a fantastic calling card,” says Bombassei. “We call the city a ‘trampolino di lancio’, a springboard, a stepping-stone to success for everything, paintings sculpture, fashion and collectors. Whether it is an established brand like Prada or a new contemporary artist, everyone wants a space in Venice and people here are so curious to see everything that is new.”
Two examples highlight this well. The first is the recent opening of Milan-based gallerist Tommaso Calabro’s venue on the noble floor of Palazzo Donà Brusa in Campo San Polo. Since opening his first space in Milan in 2018, Calabro has built a fine reputation for modern and contemporary art and his first exhibition in Venice, running until July 2024, shows works by the late American painter Harold Stevenson.
Secondly, Galeries Bartoux have chosen Venice for their first Italian gallery. This long-established family firm, with 20 galleries across France and in Miami, New York, London and Monaco, plan to open space in 2025 in a fully restored 16th Century theatre at the foot of the Accademia Bridge, in the heart of Dorsoduro.
“People will always come to Venice to see the beauty in the Renaissance paintings but there is especially strong interest in viewing and investing in contemporary art at present,” says Bombassei. “But across every discipline, interior design, sculpture, photography, Venice has something to offer. A good starting point for anyone wanting to explore the art scene is to look at the wonderful Marsilio Arte website. They have a constantly updated list of all art activities in Venice, covering publishing, exhibitions, museums and events.”
Serena Bombassei’s top choices for 2024 in Venice include:
1. Gallerie dell’ Accademia. A world famous gallery showing the development of Venetian art from the 14th to 18th Titian, Tintoretto, Canaletto, Bellini: the collection is a name-check of outstanding greats serving up a view of Venice through the ages. “The current temporary exhibition of paintings and drawings from Museum Berggruen in Berlin, ‘Elective Affinities,’ includes works by Picasso, Matisse, Klee and Cezanne,” says Bombassei. “It marks the Venice debut of The Berggruen Institute Europe with works shown at the Gallerie dell’ Accademia and also at Casa dei Tre Oci on Giudecca, an exhibition space that we at Knight Frank sourced for Berggruen.” gallerieaccademia.it/en
2. Collector and philanthropist Nicolas Berggruen also established Berggruen Arts & Culture, a charitable foundation. After a two year renovation that included the restoration of significant frescos, the foundation has opened Palazzo Diedo in Cannaregio, a contemporary exhibition space with permanent installations. berggruenarts.org
3. Chahan + Fortuny. Venice-based interior designer Chahan Minassian has an international portfolio of work that includes homes in New York and Miami, the Hôtel de Crillon in Paris and award-winning super-yachts. New this season, in the former home of Countess Gozzi beside the Fortuny Factory on Giudecca, he collaborates with the exclusive and legendary Venetian textile company Fortuny, opening a permanent exhibition space. fortuny.com and chahan.com
4. Patricia Low Contemporary. “Contemporary gallerist Patricia Low, who has had a base in Gstaad, Switzerland since 2005, opened last year in Venice, in a space I found for her by Ca’Rezzonico Museum, directly opposite Palazzo Grassi on the Grand Canal” says Bombassei. “She has become a good friend and her 2024 exhibitions include works by Austrian artist Xenia Hausner and LA-based artist Enrique Martínez Celaya. patricialow.com/exhibitions
5. Akka Project. An exciting gallery established by two collectors of African art and self-professed “cultural entrepreneurs” who have had a gallery in Dubai since 2016. Their wonderfully vibrant San Marco gallery showcases emerging and often overlooked artists in thought-provoking and immersive exhibitions. akkaproject.com
6. Notable patrons of contemporary arts in Venice who have left their mark include Peggy Guggenheim, whose collection of 20th Century art is open to the public in her former home and Francois Pinault whose collection is assembled in Palazzo Grassi. The Peggy Guggenheim Collection is currently showing “Juggler of Art,” an exhibition of works by Jean Cocteau.
7. Ocean Space. Ocean Space in Castello opened in 2019 in the beautifully restored and soaring heights of San Lorenzo Church. It operates as a platform for artists and scientists to highlight and discuss climate change through lectures, events and exhibitions. ocean-space.org
8. Helmut Newton. Legacy. The most complete exhibition of the works of this controversial and stylish artist, over 250 photographs, polaroids and archive documents, are on show at Le Stanze della Fotografia on the island of San Giorgio Maggiore to the east of Giudecca. Runs until November 2024. lestanzedellafotografia.it
Explore our latest properties for sale in Venice, or get in touch with our International team.
