This past year has been a difficult one for me and unfortunately it has meant that my blog has not received as much love and attention as it deserves and I have been unable to visit as many exhibitions as I would have liked. However, by the end of Summer things started to improve and I was able to go on a trip of a lifetime to Venice.

I have always wanted to go to this historic city of canals which is absolutely packed full of art. As readers of this blog may have sussed out, the art that captures my heart is contemporary and to my luck, the Venice Biennial was being staged this year, and I was in for a treat!

To go into an in-depth explanation of everything my eyes were treated to would take a lifetime. I don’t want to bore you with any inane details so I will briefly sum up my favourite parts of the festival and why I would recommend visiting this beautiful island:

Venice itself is absolutely stunning. The narrow canals flowing into one another with glorious gondolas floating through them are like something out of a story book. Despite being loaded with tourists even in the middle of September, you cannot help drawing yourself in to the magnificent St Mark’s Square which is a feast for the eyes in every corner. You could just stand in the centre in amazement for hours and not get bored with all there is to see.

Of course my favourite part of Venice was the Biennial. The city has been taken over by contemporary art from all over the globe. The celebration of the contemporary centres at the Arsenale, however pavilions are scattered all over Venice. To be honest my favourites were those outside the Arsenale, which had been staged in historic buildings with ceilings covered in traditional Italian frescos and old churches. These locations which are then paired with cutting edge and modern art are wonderful juxtaposition which are a dream to take in. I was most impressed by the many Chinese pavilions as well as those from the Middle East, particularly Lebanon.

Visiting Venice was a surreal experience. It caters for lovers of history and those in search of the new. It was unforgettable.