Biennale di Venezia

The Venice Biennale is an international cultural exhibition that organizes recurring events in visual arts, architecture, cinema, dance, music, and theatre. It is based in Venice, Italy, and operates under the Fondazione La Biennale di Venezia. The exhibitions are held every two years, alternating between the art and architecture sectors, while the film, dance, music, and theatre festivals occur annually. The event showcases works from artists and creators worldwide, presented in national pavilions and thematic exhibitions across the Giardini, the Arsenale, and various venues throughout the city.

The Biennale attracts participants from many countries each edition, with national pavilions representing a wide range of artistic traditions. It is considered one of the oldest and most prestigious recurring cultural exhibitions globally, having been founded in 1895. The exhibition draws significant international attention from critics, collectors, and the general public, contributing to Venice’s status as a global hub for contemporary culture. While specific visitor numbers are not provided in the source material, its influence extends across the art market and academic discourse.

The Biennale is distinguished by its multidisciplinary approach, integrating multiple art forms within a single institutional framework, and by its historic venues such as the Giardini and the Arsenale, which have hosted exhibitions for over a century. It operates as a foundation that receives support from the Italian government and private partners, maintaining a degree of operational independence while aligning with national cultural policy. Recently, the organization experienced a ransomware attack in July 2025 by the group INC Ransom, which resulted in the exfiltration of over eight hundred gigabytes of data, including identity scans of artists and internal documents, prompting a response that involved isolation of systems, notification of authorities, and recovery assistance from the cybersecurity firm Yarix.