The Best Shows to see in Venice

As the oldest art festival of its kind in the world the Venice Biennale draws huge crowds, but there are plenty of other shows to see throughout the city. Here are five of the best. 

La Pelle – Luc Tuymans 

Luc Tuymans, Twenty Seventeen, 2017. Pinault Collection © Studio Luc Tuymans

Palazzo Grassi

Until 6 January 2020

A major solo show presenting more than 80 works by the influential figurative painter.

palazzograssi.it

Njideka Akunyili Crosby: “The Beautyful Ones”

Njideka Akunyili Crosby, “The Beautyful Ones” Series #7, 2018. © Njideka Akunyili Crosby, courtesy the artist, Victoria Miro, and David Zwirner

Galleria Victoria Miro

Until 13 July

A selection of new works from the artist’s ongoing series, derived from personal photographs picturing family members, among others.

victoria-miro.com

Edmund de Waal –Psalm 

Edmund de Waal, the library of exile(2019). Ateneo Veneto. Part of pslam, an exhibition in two parts at the Jewish Museum and Ateneo Veneto, Venice © Edmund de Waal. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Fulvio Orsenigo

Jewish Museum of Venice and Ateneo Veneto

Until 29 September

This two-part exhibition presents new installations of porcelain, marble and gold and a ‘library of exile’, which holds almost 2,000 books by exiled writers, from Ovid to the present day.

psalmvenice.org 

Baselitz – Academy 

Georg Baselitz, Schlafzimmer (Bedroom), 1975. Georg Baselitz Treuhandstiftung

Gallerie dell’Accademia di Venezia

Until 8 September

A major retrospective of works by Georg Baselitz surveys his 60-year career, with a focus on rarely seen works that reveal the artist’s relationship with Italy.

gallerieaccademia.it

Sean Scully: HUMAN

Sean Scully, Wall 3, 2017. © The artist

Church of San Giorgio Maggiore

Until 13 October

The Irish artist brings sculpture, paintings and drawings to the San Giorgio Maggiore, in response to the church’s architecture and the monk’s manuscript collection.

blainsouthern.com