You'll hear a lot about the Venice Biennale this year, opening May 9th and running through November in what many consider the world's preeminent art fair. But unlike Art Basel or Fireze, there's no actual art on sale. In Venice it's all about the showmanship of art. This year's theme, All the World's Futures, is curated by Okwui Enwezor - the Biennale's first-ever African born curator and includes over 136 artists from 53 countries. With reoccurring themes from religious fanaticism to worker inequality, the main hall will feature a continuous reading of Karl Marx's - Das Kapital throughout the 6-month fair. Additionally, 89 highly-hyped national exhibitions will include Grenada, Mauritius, Mongolia, Mozambique, and Seychelles for the first time.
With virtually every international collector, billionaire and turned-arty celebrity on hand for the opening week, every hotel room in Venice has long since been booked. This year, Aman Canal Grand proves the most desired and challenging booking with its starry terrace eatery and hedonist suites. It's followed by Hotel Cipriani with its Palladio Villa that comes with its own private dock and the Hemingway Suite at the Gritti Palace in the very space the American-writer called home in the late 1940s. With many eateries booked from May 8th with private parties and posh collector soirees, look for Osteria alle Testiere to be even harder to get into than usual as well as Al Covo with its cozy rustic glamour and Il Ridotto by chef Gianni Bonaccorsi who also runs Aciugheta - a spectacular pizzeria nearby that's great for a snack on the go.
Surrounding the Biennale opening is the mayhem of sponsored clubs, parties and events that are by invite-only or the privilege of a pretty face. Blue bloods will want to see Kara Walker direct the all-new production of Vincenzo Bellini's Norma later in May at La Fenice Opera House. If the Russians didn't invite you to their Biennale fete that's sure to be heavy on plugging the June opening of the Garage Gorky Park, there's no shortage of nearby events from midnight galas at Palazzina G and St. Regis San Clemente Palace to Lou Lou's chichi pop-up bar inside Bauer Hotel's B Bar that brings 4am London debauchery to usually sleepy Venice.
