Venezia ’900: il secolo delle mostre

Abstract

For Venice, the 20th century was a century of exhibitions, since the “invention” of the Biennale in 1895. With the development of cultural tourism, art exhibitions have flourished. In the mid 20th century, with the arrival of Peggy Guggenheim’s collection and the acquisition of the Palazzo Grassi by the Marinotti family, private initiatives added themselves to public cultural initiatives. The presence of private galleries, such as Carlo Cardazzo’s Il Cavallino, the role of prestigious figures such as Nino Barbantini and Rodolfo Pallucchini and the presence of institutions such as the Giorgio Cini Foundation have given fresh impetus to a city which seemed undone after the flood of 1966 and rose again thanks to its museums and exhibition venues. After 1968, the reopening of the Biennale and of the Bevilacqua Foundation, and, later, the arrival of the Pinault Foundation and of the Prada Foundation, have made Venice an international venue focused on contemporary art.