VENICE BIENNALE: HOW TO VISIT IT
Every two years Venice becomes the world centre of contemporary art.
This year the Venice Biennale (the 57th International Art Exhibition of Venice) will run from May 13th to November 26th 2017, and the theme chosen by the curator Christine Macel is VIVA ARTE VIVA.
The exhibition doesn’t develop a topic, but it consists of a series of pavilions, which bring artists of different generations and origins together, which follow like chapters of a book.
In this post you’ll find the opening times, all about Venice Biennale tickets and how to visit it.
READ ALSO: all about Venice Architecture Biennale 2018: Architecture Exhibition in Venice.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND THE TICKETS FOR THE VENICE BIENNALE
WHERE YOU CAN FIND THE TICKETS FOR THE VENICE BIENNALE
There are 3 types of Venice Biennale tickets and you can buy them at the ticket office or on-line (link at the end of the post).
48h tickets are valid for 48 hours since their first validation (closing days excluded) entitling to multiple visits to each exhibition venue (Giardini and Arsenale); they are strictly personal and a valid ID is required to buy and use them.
Full 48h € 30
48h for students and/or under 26 € 22
Full Regular ticket € 25 (valid for one admission to each exhibition venue – Giardini and Arsenale – also on different or non-consecutive days)
Concessionary ticket € 22 (affiliations)
Concessionary ticket € 20 (over 65, military officers, Venice residents)
Students and/or under 26 € 15
Permanent Passes (Full Permanent pass € 80) grant unrestricted admission to each exhibition venue (Giardini and Arsenale); they are strictly personal and a valid ID is required to buy and use them.
READ ALSO: My opinion about Venice Biennale 2017.
WHERE THE VENICE BIENNALE IS
The Venice Biennale has got two exhibition venues: the Giardini and the Arsenale. In addition, there are several collateral events scattered around the city of Venice, which are part of the itinerary planned by the curator.
Read the list of the collateral events of the Venice Biennale in the post with all the updates.
For those who arrive at Venice Marco Polo airport every 30 minutes ATVO shuttles and bus line 5 leave headed for the Piazzale Roma. From here you can take vaporetto (ferry boat) lines 51, 52, 61, 82, 41, 42 and get off at the Giardini Biennale stop.
From Santa Lucia railway station to get to Giardini Biennale, you can take vaporetto lines 1, 41, 51 (no change); as an alternative lines 4, 71, 82 with stop at the Piazzale Roma. Here you have to change and take vaporetto lines 51, 61 headed for the Lido, getting off at the Giardini stop.
If you reach the Venice Biennale by car, you’d better park your car in Mestre, at the Tronchetto parking lot or at the Piazzale Roma parking lot. From Mestre you can reach Venice by train or by bus and take vaporetto lines 1, 41 and 51 (headed for Giardini). From the Tronchetto parking lot you need to take vaporetto line 82, get off at the Piazzale Roma stop and take lines 41, 51, 61 (headed for Giardini). From the Piazzale Roma parking lot, to reach Giardini take vaporetto lines 1, 51, 52, 61, 82, 41, 42 headed for the Lido, stop at Giardini.
OPENING TIMES AND DATES OF THE VENICE BIENNALE
From May 13th 2017 to November 26th 2017.
Giardini– Opening times 10 am- 5.30 pm
Arsenale (Campo della Tana)- Opening times 10 am- 5.30 pm
From May 13th until September 30th on Fridays and on Saturdays prolonged opening hours of the Arsenale venue until 10 pm; ticket office opening times 10 am- 7.30 pm.
Last admission to exhibition venues: 5.45 pm.
Last admission at the Arsenale venue on Fridays and on Saturdays until September 30th: 7.45 pm.
READ ALSO: my last visit at the Venice Biennale in 2015.
LINK
Buy tickets on-line – www.labiennale.org/en/art/tickets/
READ ALSO: all about pavilions and parallel events of the Venice Art Biennale 2017.
Is the 48 hour ticket literally 48 hours, thereby, a two day ticket ? (Two days of 7 hours) Or is it 48hour of times the two venues are open: making it a more than 2 day ticket?
48h tickets are valid for 48 hours since their first validation (closing days excluded) entitling to multiple visits to each exhibition venue (Giardini and Arsenale).
Do I need a printout of the ticket I bought online? Or can I just show the ticket on my mobile?
You can also show the code from the smartphone.
Is Mark Bradford’s exhibit at Giardini or Arsenale? Or is it shown specifically at the United States Pavillon?
Mark Bradford’s exhibit is at Giardini, because the United States Pavillion “Tomorrow Is Another Day” is only at Giardini.
But Mark Bradford sponsored a shop of a cooperative that works with a small prison on Giudecca island.
The shop is in Rialto Bridge and he designed a limited-edition Mark Bradford bag to sell during the Biennale.
I’d like to go over two days, but it doesn’t have to be two days in a row (ie. 48 hour pass). Am I correct in understanding that the full regular ticket (also on different or non-consecutive days) means I can go to the venue on one day, ie. a Wednesday, then go again two days later, ie. on a Friday, with the same ticket? Thanks
To enter the Biennial on different days it is better to buy the regular ticket.
You can only enter the Gardens and the Arsenal once, but on different days. So you can go to the Gardens on Wednesdays and then on Friday at the Arsenal for example.
What would be best place/area in Venice to stay and easily get to both places ?
Near the Arsenal and the Gardens there are plenty of places, but it depends on the budget.
I recommend looking for a place near St. Mark’s Square or near the Gardens. From there you can easily reach the Biennale.