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François Pinault‘s contemporary art empire anchors Venice’s year-round cultural offerings through Palazzo Grassi and Punta della Dogana. This year, Tatiana Trouvé is the prized collection, with the largest exhibition to date at Palazzo Grassi, while Punta della Dogana hosts Thomas Schütte’s first major Italian retrospective.
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One of the coolest art spaces in Venice today is Ocean Space, housed in the restored 9th-century Church of San Lorenzo, allegedly Marco Polo’s burial site. This “embassy for the oceans” addresses climate change through art, with a light installation on the facade marking the projected 2100 sea level—a stark reminder of Venice’s vulnerability. The Fondazione Prada showcases Rem Koolhaas’s AMO/OMA, which showcases the visual communication of data as a valuable tool of exploration. On the island of San Giorgio Maggiore, check out Le Stanze del Vetro, a free exhibit of historic Murano glass pieces that launched the first Biennale exhibitions, Le Stanze della Fotografia (currently showing a super cool Mapplethorpe photography retrospective showcasing some of his rare photos), and Luc Tuymans’ vibrant commission for the Basilica di San Giorgio Maggiore.
Don’t miss the Ca’ Rezzonico, a museum that’s often overlooked by tourists, offering a tranquil garden to escape the city’s hustle and bustle while surrounded by authentic Venetian greenery. The palace houses the Museum of 18th-century Venice with period furniture, paintings, and sculptures, built originally for the Bon family, one of Venice’s old noble families who commissioned this masterpiece of Venetian Baroque architecture. Always ask locals in passing for recommendations. Pietro Rusconi, executive adviser to the Fondazione delle Arti – Venezia, suggests following the work of the Fiorucci sisters, Nicolette and Silvia, who have respectively started their own projects: Nicoletta Fiorucci Foundation and La Società delle Api, and of course Palazzo Diedo, set up by Berggruen Arts & Culture (a foundation from the notable philanthropist, Nicolas Berggruen)—and Giacomo Gandola, gallery assistant for Galleria Lorcan O’Neill Venezia, recommends popping by Tommaso Calabro, Michele Barbati, and Marignana Arte.
Venice Design Week, running October 11-19, 2025, transforms the city into a design laboratory where international designers and companies showcase exhibitions throughout historic palazzos and contemporary spaces, creating an intimate counterpoint to the massive Biennale events.
Shopping in Venice extends far beyond touristy souvenirs when you know where to look. The city’s artisan tradition continues to evolve in workshops scattered throughout the residential neighborhoods. At Cavalier near Chiesa San Vidal, Alberto Cavalier represents the last generation of master frame makers and gilders, crafting custom pieces in a tiny studio where techniques haven’t changed for centuries. In Barberia offers hand-carved eyewear custom-fitted to your face (starting at 1,200 euros), where you can watch the owner craft each piece in real-time. Luigi Bevilacqua srl Weaving operates as the last remaining velvet producer in Venice, where 19th-century handworked machines still create one-of-a-kind textiles on 18th-century looms. Attilio Codognato, established in 1866, has been a destination for jewelry lovers from Coco Chanel, Jackie Kennedy, Andy Warhol, and Elizabeth Taylor—keeping OG status as one of Venice’s most prestigious jewelers. For friulane slippers, hit Quorami (these caught the eye of the late Iris Apfel) and Teod’amar, Norma Marzà’s atelier, in which she uses fabrics and decorations from the Serenissima to create slippers and gorgeous accessories.
In Campo dei Frari, Legatoria Polliero specializes in handcrafted papers and traditional bookbinding; Kartaruga, tucked away in Campo San Marina, is still considered one of the most important mask ateliers in Venice; Rubelli’s showroom is where you should go to drool over fabrics that honor tradition; Danghyra makes coveted espresso cups and ceramics, designing pieces for Italy’s finest hotels; and dip into the 17th-century Spezeria all’Ercole d’Oro, a preserved 17th-century pharmacy where you can shop potions and olfactory delights. The famous Libreria Acqua Alta stores books in gondolas and bathtubs as protection against flooding—a response to Venice’s ongoing negotiation with water. These ateliers represent Venice’s living culture—spaces where traditional techniques meet contemporary vision, far from the manufactured souvenirs that flood tourist areas. Venice also has its own soccer team, and yes, you have to travel by boat to Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo on Sant’Elena island (across from the Biennale park) for a game.
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