Discover the best free art exhibitions during the Biennale in Venice

Venice, renowned for its rich art heritage, becomes a real paradise for art enthusiasts during the Art Biennale. While the exhibitions in Giardini and Arsenale can only be accessed with a ticket (see also ‘How to prepare your visit to the Art Biennale 2024’), imagine wandering through Venice, uncovering breathtaking art exhibits tucked away in historic palazzos. Exploring these free art exhibitions offers a unique way to experience Venice’s vibrant art scene without breaking the bank. Some are officially linked to the Biennale, but many are not.

In this post, I will give you an overview of those free exhibitions which fascinated me most during my last visit to Venice. Unless mentioned differently, these all run until November 24, in line with the timing of the Art Biennale.

National participations and collateral events

This year, 35 countries and 30 collateral events are spread across the historical center of Venice, Giudecca, Certosa, San Giorgio Maggiore and Mestre to present their art. These are officially part of the Art Biennale, but you can access them without a ticket. Many are located in stunning palazzos so the location itself is already a good reason to visit them. You can find the entire list on the website of La Biennale.

Not far from Giardini and Arsenale, the pavilion of Kosovo shows ‘The Echoing Silences of Metal and Skin’ with huge installations of metal in an inner space of the Museo Storico Navale. The architectural setting is just beautiful. The sculptural installation addresses feminized labour and workplace inequality. Doruntina Kastrati’s project engages with the experiences of twelve female workers of a Turkish delight factory. The metal sculptures are modelled after the shells of different nuts that are used as ingredients in Turkish delights. (Castello 2148)

For its seventh participation to the Biennale, Grenada has chosen Palazzo Albrizzi – Capello as its base location. This lovely palazzo in Cannaregio has marvelous ceiling paintings in the different rooms. The theme of the pavilion ‘No Man is an Island’ is presented across the upper floor of the palazzo. You will find works of Jason DeCaires Taylor (known for his underwater sculptures), Frederika Adam, Fiorangela Filippini, Fedora Spinelli and many others. (Ft San Andrea 4118, Cannaregio)

Next to the Accademia bridge, you will find the Palazzo Franchetti which hosts this year the pavilion of Portugal. Usually, the exhibitions in this palazzo are held on the first floor, but Portugal selected the amazing library on the second floor as its pavilion. The plants of the Creole garden at the ‘Greenhouse’ exhibition stand out beautifully against the dark colour of the wooden bookshelfs. The library is certainly worth climbing the monumental stairs for. (San Marco 2847)

One of my favourite collateral events of this year is ‘City of Refuge III’ of Berlinde De Bruyckere at the San Giorgio Maggiore church. It is also included as one of the stunning artworks in ‘The insider guide to the Venice Art Biennale 2024’. When entering the Basilica di San Giorgio Maggiore, you are immediately greeted by one of the three ‘arcangeli’ (archangels). The huge sculptures covered in veils stand on their toes on high pedestals and are reflected in a mirror. The sculptures are in different shades of grey which makes it difficult to see which side is the front or the back. They are very impressive, especially in the monumental setting of the church built by Palladio. (Abazzia di San Giorgio Maggiore)

Must-see free exhibitions     

ECC, the European Cultural Centre, is a well-known organizer at the time of the Biennale. As usual, they present their ‘Personal Structures’ exhibitions in different locations: the Marinaressa Gardens, Palazzo Bembo and Palazzo Mora. Considering the complex dynamics of our global society and in line with the overall theme of the Art Biennale, ‘Beyond Boundaries’ was chosen as the guiding title of this seventh edition. More than 200 artists from 51 countries explored their identities looking at their cultural backgrounds as well as through the lens of gender. This resulted in a large number of paintings, sculptures, installations, and performances so you will have to take your time at each of these locations. (Marinaressa Gardens, Riva dei Sette Martiri, Castello; Palazzo Bembo, Riva del Carbon 4793, San Marco ; Palazzo Mora, Strada Nova 3659, Cannaregio)

The Istuto Veneto di Scienze, Lettere e Arti is another location which very often organizes contemporary art exhibitions. Palazzo Loredan is located between Campo Santo Stefano and the Accademia bridge. This year, you can visit the exhibition ‘Invisible questions that fill the air’ of James Lee Byars and Seung-Taek Lee. The artists never met but their works present surprising and unexpected parallels. The gold and the ropes of the artworks blend perfectly well in the beautiful old library and stunning rooms. The exhibition runs until August 25. (San Marco 2945)

The Scuola Grande della Misericordia (see also ‘These stunning scuole grandi reveal the social history of Venice’) hosts this year the exhibition ‘Near and Far/ Now and Then’ of Zeng Fanzhi’. I was already impressed by the huge works on the ground floor, but I was blown away by the monochromatic drawings on handmade paper on the first floor. They evoke a special atmosphere, so you continue to watch them to see if you missed any detail. The exhibition runs until September 30. (Calle Loredan 3599, Cannaregio)

Close to the Misericordia, I discovered this year Daniel Arsham and his exhibition ‘Venice 3024’ at the Chiesa di Santa Caterina. The church is a stunning location for his huge paintings ‘Fractured Idols’ which blend ancient and future characters. There are also some sculptures and mosaics along the same theme. The exhibition runs until September 15. (Fondamenta Santa Caterina, Cannaregio)

I’m a big fan of comics, including Japanese manga, so I loved the ‘Mythologiques’ exhibition of Tomokazu Matsuyama in the Marina Militare. His huge colourful paintings merge rural Japan with the entertainment capital of Los Angeles and the financial center of New York. The Marina Militare is a part of the Arsenale which is rarely open to the public. Visiting the ‘magazzini’ (warehouses) gives you access to the back of the Arsenale, allowing you to see the main gate from the other side, as well as docks and warehouses. (see also ‘The fascinating history behind the Arsenale walls’). (Magazzino 41, Marina Militare, Arsenale, Fondamenta Case Nuove 2738/C, Castello – access via Campo della Celestia)

If you don’t mind paying for exhibitions, I highly recommend the Art Biennale itself (see also ‘5 must-see pavilions at the Art Biennale 2024 in Venice’ as well as my book ‘The insider guide to the Venice Art Biennale 2024’) or the Selva exhibition at Palazzo Fortuny (see also ‘Unveiling the magic of Palazzo Fortuny: A Venetian treasure’).

Have you visited any free exhibitions? Share your experiences in the comments below.

Have fun!