Located on the tip of Giudecca Island, Belmond Hotel Cipriani is a beacon of sophistication and just a short boat ride from St Mark’s Square. This iconic hotel offers guests an unparalleled experience that captures the essence of Venetian glamour. The property boasts breathtaking 270-degree views of the lagoon, stretching from the Doge’s Palace to St Giorgio and the surrounding islands. With its magnificent Olympic-sized swimming pool, exquisite antiques and local artifacts, the hotel combines traditional Venetian elegance with modern comfort.
Indulge in a variety of amenities and experiences at Hotel Cipriani by starting your day with a Bellini at the renowned Gabbiano Bar while gazing across the lagoon, or indulge in Michelin-starred dining at one of the hotel’s esteemed restaurants. The light-filled rooms and suites are designed to provide a serene retreat amidst the bustling city.
Highlights of the 60th Venice Biennale
The Venice Biennale titled “Foreigner’s Everywhere” voices out against trends of racism and xenophobia, to provide a platform for those marginalized by society, with artists exploring critical issues of self versus others. This year’s biennale runs from April 20 to November 24 and its cultural impact is about subverting the notions of a colonized version of history.
Once again, it is earmarked on the global art world’s calendars and this year is under the creative direction of the first South American curator, Adriano Pedrosa. The Giardini, which showcases the finest and most prestigious gathering of artists, features 29 national pavilions, each showcasing the artistic prowess of different countries. Notable highlights include the French and American pavilions.
France Pavilion: Julien Creuzet, a sculptor known for his innovative use of materials like plastics and rope, explores his French-Caribbean identity and blends diverse materials, stories, shapes and gestures to address contemporary issues of identity and universality.
Attila cataract your source at the feet of the green peaks will end up in the great sea blue abyss we drowned in the tidal tears of the moon.
Quoted verbatim: Julien Creuzet’s poem
With the sinewy sculptures and poetic chants in the background, viewers are invited to enter a space where Creuzet’s unique artistic vision resonates with the nebulous underworld’s of mythical creatures that he dreams up of, as he takes one deep into a Creole-inspired subterranean odyssey.
United States of America Pavilion: Jeffrey Gibson, the first Indigenous artist to represent the United States at the Venice Biennale, brings a fresh perspective to this year’s exhibition.
A member of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians and of Cherokee descent, Gibson uses painting, craft and collage to reinterpret contemporary Native American culture, synthesized with pulsating dance beats, to bring out the vibrancy of the aboriginal cultures present in America. The USA Pavilion is co-curated by Kathleen Ash-Milby, the first Native American to curate this pavilion, alongside Abigail Winograd. This collaboration promises a culturally enriched and thought-provoking display.
Emerging Artists
Debuting at the biennale this year is River Claure, a Bolivian photographer and visual artist, known for his innovative and performative approach to photography. His work includes meticulously constructed portraits, magical landscapes, and photographic docufiction series.
Notable series include Warawar Wawa (2019–2020), which adapts Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s Le Petit Prince to contemporary Bolivia, and Mita (2022–present), a sensitive portrayal of life in Andean mining communities that critiques colonial extractivism. Claure’s photography transforms traditional documentary and portrait styles into dynamic, playful interventions of life in the Andean region, reimagining how reality is depicted.
His work is characterized by its deep engagement with cultural identity, self-determination and a touch of ephemeral magic.
Visiting the Giardini
The Giardini, established by Napoleon in the early nineteenth century, has been the heart of the Venice Biennale since 1895. The site that is set abuzz with some of the best creative minds, is designed by famous architects like Josef Hoffmann (Austria Pavilion), Gerrit Thomas Rietveld (Dutch Pavilion), and Alvar Aalto (Finnish Pavilion). During the exhibition period, visitors can explore these pavilions and experience a diverse range of architectural styles and cultural expressions from around the world.
Every detail at Hotel Cipriani exudes charm and elegance, ensuring an unforgettable stay in Venice, explore today. Featured image by Marco Zorzanello, courtesy of La Biennale.
