Venice Biennale art exhibition, which has been existence for 115 years, is one of the most famous art-focused events in the world drawing over 100,000 visitors last year alone. The history of the Venice Biennale dates back to 1895, when the first International Art Exhibition was organized in the city. In the 1930s Music, Cinema, and Theatre festivals became a part of Venice Biennale. The Venice Film Festival organized in 1932 in fact pre-dates all the other world festivals around the world. Becoming a true all-encompassing artistic establishment, in 1980 the Biennale hosted the first International Architecture Exhibition, and in 1999 Dance was added to the menu. In its early days, Venice Biennale used to be, as its name suggests, an event that took place every two years, but it has grown so popular over time that it is now held every year, with contemporary art exhibitions taking place on odd years and architecture exhibitions in even ones.
This year the 12th International Architecture Exhibition, directed by Kazuyo Sejima, will be held from August 29th to November 21st, 2010. One of the prevalent themes of the event will be sustainable building, featuring an off-site symposium on the approach to energy use and the alternative energy sources. This theme is very relevant to the issues faced by modern-day Venice, the unique historic city which strives to stay alive, vital and relevant while being positioned on the water in centuries-old buildings and undergoing frequent floods. Refitted historic buildings are being increasingly used for hotels and stores and the huge numbers of tourists arriving to the city in every season add to the stress on the Venetian environment, both natural and man-made.
You can read more on Venice Biennale on its official website at LaBiennale.org
