The Venice Biennale’s Polite Fiction of Being ‘Above the Market’ Is Wearing Thin
An Artnet News market column argues that the Venice Biennale’s claim to be “above the market” is increasingly strained as galleries more often finance artists’ costly biennial projects in hopes of later returns. Ahead of the 61st Venice Biennale, it notes that brands and commercial entities are more visible in the surrounding ecosystem, even if Venice is not as saturated as events like Art Basel Miami Beach. The piece reports that Christie’s is not backing a pavilion this year but is staging a private selling exhibition at the 15th-century Ca’ Dario Palazzo on the Grand Canal, a property also listed via Christie’s International Real Estate and located near the Peggy Guggenheim Collection. It also cites fashion-house activity (including Bottega Veneta and Chanel) and says Frieze is helping bankroll the British Pavilion for a second time, supporting a presentation of Turner Prize-winning painter Lubaina Himid.
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This story was covered in Biennial Meltdown, Market Myths, and Museum Scandals