Exclusion and inclusion in the spaces of the Biennale: a proactive reflection

For more than a century, the Biennale has represented a major cultural institution for Venice, one of the most important on the international stage. In recognising the need to maintain and strengthen this asset, we would like to use this chapter to initiate an argument for expanding the use of the Arsenale and the Giardini di Castello. Giving thought to the development of projects that would allow these two sites to be opened up, not only within the spaces and during exhibition periods, would, as well as benefitting Venice’s citizens, make the link between the Biennale and Venice even stronger and more dynamic. The route is not an easy one, not for the Arsenale, where such approaches have long been discussed, nor for the Giardini, where it would be a matter of acting on a complex contractual relationship between the municipality, the Biennale and the foreign countries involved. But the result would be extraordinary, in both locations. We, the authors, believe that this is not only possible, but necessary.