The Venice Biennale is an international art biennial exhibition held in Venice, Italy. Often described as "the Olympics of the art world", participation in the Biennale is a prestigious event for contemporary artists. The festival has become a constellation of shows: a central exhibition curated by that year's artistic director, national pavilions hosted by individual nations, and independent exhibitions held throughout Venice. The Biennale's parent organisation also runs regular festivals in other arts: architecture, dance, film, music and theatre.
Outside the central international exhibition, individual nations produce their own shows, known as pavilions, as their national representation. Nations that own their pavilion buildings – such as the 30 housed in the Giardini – are responsible for their own upkeep and construction costs as well. Nations without dedicated buildings create pavilions in venues throughout the city.
Organisation and building
Detail of the Greek pavilion's architectural styleThe main entrance of the Greek pavilion
The architect Y. Papandréou designed the pavilion, which was built between 1933 and 1934. Brenno Del Giudice, who led the Biennale's Sant'Elena expansion, also collaborated on the project. The pavilion was built in a Neo‑Byzantine style, emphasising the Byzantine dimension of Hellenism – a highly engaging issue in Greece at the time. The building's simple layout includes a T‑shaped hall. Greek and diamond patterns adorn the brickwork, and Greco‑Byzantine round arches line the portico. The word 'GRECIA' is written in marble above the entrance.
The Greek pavilion is administered by the Greek Ministry of Culture, which is also responsible for organising Greece's participation in the Venice Biennale International Art Exhibition.
Pavilion location and accessibility
The Greek pavilion is located in the Giardini of the Venice Biennale. Visitors can reach the Greek pavilion either through the main entrance, making it one of the last pavilions on their walking route, or through the back entrance of the Giardini, where the Greek pavilion is the first in sight. The building is accessible either via its frontal main entrance using the stairs, or via a ramp on the right side of the building that leads to the back entrance of the pavilion.
2022 — Loukia Alavanou (Curator: Heinz Peter Schwerfel)
2024 — Conceived by Thanasis Deligiannis and Yannis Michalopoulos, created along with Elia Kalogianni, Yorgos Kyvernitis, Kostas Chaikalis, Fotis Sagonas (Curator: Panos Giannikopoulos)
2026 — Andreas Angelidakis (Curator: George Bekirakis)
Architecture
Source:
1991 — S. and D. Antonakakis, N. Valsamaki, A. Tompazi, Dimitris Pikionis (Commissioner: Keti Mikou-Karachaliou, Deputy Commissioners: Takis Koumpis, Agni Pikioni)
1996 — Kyriakos Krokos (Commissioner: Andreas Giakoumakatos)
2000 — "The City: Less aesthetic, more ethical" (Commissioner: Ilias Zeggelis)
2018 — "The School of Athens" Curators: Christina Argyros, Ryan Neiheiser
2021 — "Boulevard de la Société des Nations - The Well-Known Aristotle Axis in Thessaloniki" Nikos Kalogirou, Maria Dousi, Dimitris Thomopoulos, Dimitris Kontaxakis, Sofoklis Kotsopoulos, Themistoklis Hatzigiannopoulos (Commissioner: Efthimios Mpakogiannakis)
2023 — "Bodies of Water" Curators: Costis Paniyiris and Andreas Nikolovgenis (Commissioner: Efthimios Bakoyannis, General Secretary of Spatial Planning and Urban Environment)
Volpi, Cristiana (2013). "Greece". In Re Rebaudengo, Adele (ed.). Pavilions and Garden of Venice Biennale. Rome: Contrasto. p.181. ISBN978-88-6965-440-4.
