THE INDUSTRIAL HEART OF VENICE: ARSENALE

arsenale

This month we will talk about a rather famous monument of Venice: the arsenal (Arsenale) and the first Chinese art gallery owner hosting her exhibition there during Biennale.

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Personality: Peishuo Yang.

Place: Arsenale.

venice biennale

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We have already written about the Arsenal of Venice here. Check out the link for more.

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Arsenale

venice biennale

The Arsenal witnessed the glorious past of Venice and was, at the same time, its engine. Here Venetians built their merchant and military ships, which allowed the Republic of Venice to spread its influence all over the Mediterranean Sea.

Nestled in the Sestiere of Castello, it occupies almost 15% (46 hectares) of the whole territory of Venice.  When fully operational, the number of workers reached 2000 people, they were called Arsenalotti.

Nowadays it remains well known as the place hosting the amazing International Art Exhibition called “La Biennale”.

Established in 1895, the Biennale is worldwide famous and the last editions reached an attendance of over 500,000 people.

The Biennale perfectly fits in the huge rooms of Arsenale and, to be honest, the old austere building seems to highlight the work of arts.

Peishuo Yang.

venice

Pei was born in Tianjin, China but fell in love with Italy after watching the movie called Good Morning Babilonia.

In 1997, she decided to move to Florence to study art in Italy. Her passion for art paid well. In 2019, she became the first Chinese gallery owner to exhibit at the Biennale.

The exhibition was called “Pei’s World. A brief history of a Chinese gallery in Italy” and gathered the pieces of art from six international artists.