ART IN VENICE—AN ENJOYABLE BOYCOTT

To experience art in Venice, you don’t need this year’s Art Biennale

For many art lovers, the Venice Biennale has always been a must-attend event on their calendar. Not this year, though. GloriousMe was recently in Venice and enjoyed the city’s art and history without the Biennale.

Venice has too much art to offer

A few days in Venice aren’t enough to see all the outstanding art on display at the Serenissima at any given time. If you’re not one of the lucky few who can spend weeks in the lagoon city, then skip the Art Biennale this year.

The reopening of the Russian Pavilion, funded by oligarchs whose companies are profiting from the war against Ukraine, is prompting many to consider boycotting this year’s Art Biennale.

This boycott can be quite enjoyable, because even without the Art Biennale, Venice has plenty of outstanding art to offer in many places.

We recommend three interesting places. You can spend the rest of your time in the lagoon city relaxing in the lovely cafés, ice cream parlors, wine bars, and restaurants, strolling through the narrow streets, and letting the art you’ve seen so far sink in.

The Only True Protest Is Beauty

That is the title of the exhibition at the recently opened Fondazione Dries Van Noten in Venice.

Belgian designer Dries van Noten, who rose to fame as one of the Belgian Six—a group that formed years ago to showcase their (still) intriguing fashion at the famous (and expensive) fashion events—left the fashion industry in 2024.

His passion project is the Fondazione Dries van Noten, which acquired the 15th-century Gothic-style Pisano Moretta Palace in Venice from the Pisani family in 2024. The Pisani family, which had owned the palace for over a century, had commissioned outstanding artists of their time—such as Giambattista Tiepolo—to decorate its interior.

Palazzo Pisani Moretta © GloriousMe 2026

Dries van Noten now presents exhibitions in this magnificent palace in collaboration with curators.

We find it particularly interesting that the Fonazione Dries van Noten is not only open during the peak tourist seasons, when many tourists flock to Venice, but also deliberately showcases art year-round.

The Fondazione Dries van Noten focuses on the intersection of art, fashion, and craftsmanship, offering apprenticeships in key artisanal skills and opportunities for continuing education.

What you see in the rooms of the Fondazione Dries Van Noten is phenomenally curated and displayed. The ornate Baroque rooms serve not only as a backdrop and a stage but are skillfully integrated with modern art and crafts. Definitely worth seeing.

Fondazione Dries van Noten © GloriousMe 2026

A New Museum in Town

Venice has an abundance of art and history to offer. During our recent visit, we were intrigued to discover that a new art venue had opened its doors right on St. Mark’s Square, in the heart of Venice’s tourist district: SMAC.

SMAC is located in a section of this historic square that has been closed to the public for over 500 years. In the past, this approximately 150-meter-long side wing of the St. Mark’s Square complex housed the so-called Procurators.

As officials of the Venetian state, the Procuratori di San Marco were responsible for the administration of St. Mark’s Basilica, the execution of wills, and the care of the poor and orphans in the San Marco district.

For many years, the building—which had been acquired by Generali Insurance—stood vacant until it underwent a complete renovation. The renovation, led by architect David Chipperfield, took five years to complete.

Now these historic and truly remarkable spaces are open to the public again, and SMAC—an art institution with so much to offer—has opened there. Currently on view is the work of South Korean artist Lee Ufan, whose art we’ve been admiring for years. A must-see.

SMAC at St. Mark’s Square, Venice © GloriousMe

Fondazione Prada

Admittedly, we’re not impartial when it comes to this recommendation. How could we be, since we only recommend things we love ourselves?

Miuccia Prada brilliantly led the fashion brands Prada and Miu Miu before investors insisted on bringing in a younger designer to work alongside her, whose approach to modernizing the brand largely consists of featuring the logo in oversized form everywhere.

It’s time to devote oneself to art. And that’s exactly what Miuccia Prada has been doing for several years now in Milan with her Fondazione Prada and the wonderful café designed by Wes Anderson. She has also opened an art venue in Venice that’s well worth a visit: the Fondazione Prada Venezia.

The inflated prices for high-end fashion made it possible to purchase the Ca’ Corner della Regia Palace, which was built between 1724 and 1728 and came into the possession of Pope Pius VII in 1800.

The blend of an historic palace and modern art at the Fondazione Prada in Venice is a delight.

Any more would be too much

Take some time to visit these three art venues and skip this year’s Venice Art Biennale. You certainly won’t regret it, and—just like GloriousMe—you’ll return from Venice feeling inspired and with exciting images in your mind.

THE ISLAND OF NAOSHIMA: TADAO ANDO, ART AND NATURE

Then, the magnificent Venice Architecture Biennale beckons for a future visit in 2027.

Less is more. And yet, as we were leaving Venice, we really regretted that we didn’t have enough time left to see the following three important exhibitions by contemporary artists:

Marina Abramović

Marina Abramović is the first living artist to have the honor of being featured in a solo exhibition at the venerable Galleria Accademia Venezia. The exhibition, *Transforming Energy*, will be on view through October 18, 2026.

Erwin Wurm

Through November 22, 2026, Austrian artist Erwin Wurm will be on display at the Museo Fortuny with his humorous and thought-provoking sculptures. The exhibition *Dreamers* is Erwin Wurm’s first exhibition in Italy.

Amoako Boafo

You’re surely familiar with the portraits by this prominent artist from Ghana. The Museo di Palazzo Grimani is dedicating a major exhibition to him. Through November 22, 2026.

It’s always hard for us to say goodbye to Venice. These three artists alone would make it worth traveling to Venice one more time this summer or fall.

Especially since there’s hardly any other place in the world where getting from one art venue to another is more pleasant: Take Vaporetto Lines 1 and 2 from St. Mark’s Square toward the Accademia and Rialto. Three of the museums mentioned above are located on the Grand Canal. Where else can you take a boat ride to see outstanding art?

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