COURSE DESCRIPTION

The Venice Biennale was the first event of its kind and has become the model used by major art events across the globe. But the Venice Biennale remains the largest art show of its kind, with thousands of artists’ work on display in the magnificent surrounds of Venice.

This course takes you into the world of the Venice Biennale. In session one, we look at the history of the event from its foundations in the 1890s, to its evolution of an “art Olympics” for the great nations of of the West, and its eventual closure under Italian Fascism. But the Biennale underwent an extraordinary revival in the post war period, when it and its associated events, such as the Venice Film Festival, made Venice a centre for global intercultural exchange.

In the second session, we look more closely at the changing face of the Biennale from the 1980s to the present. While the Biennale had grown as an event among mostly western nations, the past few decades have seen a growing focus on inclusion of artists from South America, Africa, the Pacific and Asia. More recently too, the Biennale has been creating space for artists representing other groups - the diasporas of the world and stateless nations, for example - and has been joined by numerous unofficial exhibitions, from retrospectives of major modern artists to cutting edge contemporary shows run by artists, galleries and museums.

LECTURERs

Dr Nick Gordon is a cultural historian and holds a PhD in history from the University of Sydney. His research into medieval and Renaissance Europe has won numerous academic awards and scholarships, including the University Medal in history from the University of Sydney, and has been published in prestigious peer-reviewed journals. Nick has over 15 years’ experience as a lecturer to university and public audiences.

COURSE STRUCTURE

2 x 1.5 hour sessions. Each session includes an interactive lecture and time for questions and discussion.