9 of the best hotels for Venice Biennale 2022, from budget to blow-out luxury
Yes, it’s part of a hostel chain but it’s quirky, cosy and stylish. Located in a converted grain warehouse, Generator has got an industrial-shabby-chic feel nailed: bare…
In from the cold: indigenous Sámi artists debut at the Venice Biennale
Indeed, Sápmi may be one of the most beautiful places on earth: its glaciers and forests and the Aurora Borealis inspired Phillip Pullman’s ‘Northern Lights’ trilogy and…
The Van Gogh of Kazakhstan who feigned insanity to escape the Soviets
Somewhere near Georgia’s border with Russia, 2,500 LED lamps, two robotic arms, a walking refrigerator, 3,000 sq ft of aluminium foil and many, many rolls of duct…
At the Venice Biennale, surreal joys are in, Putin is out – and the stale males are hanging on
With all the horror emerging from Ukraine, a festival of contemporary art may seem, more than ever, an irrelevant indulgence. Yet the 59th Venice Biennale, which, shunted…
Sonia Boyce, British Pavilion, Venice, review: lacks the X-factor of genuine imaginative strangeness
“Are you looking forward to Sonia Boyce’s show inside the British pavilion?” asks an independent curator as we wait for a flight to Venice to catch the…
Sonia Boyce, British Pavilion, Venice, review: lacks the X-factor of genuine imaginative strangeness
“Are you looking forward to Sonia Boyce’s show inside the British pavilion?” asks an independent curator as we wait for a flight to Venice to catch the…
Anish Kapoor leaves art rivals seeing red over ‘world’s blackest black’
It is not a paint, but a material made of carbon nanotubes – Kapoor’s particular version is sprayable – that allows for no shadows or demarcations. According…
Anish Kapoor’s Venice sculptures are gimmicky but crackle with black magic
There are plenty of Kapoor’s paradoxical black sculptures in his new Venetian show of around 70 works, arranged across two venues in the city. The exhibition –…
The 15 ultimate Italian holidays, and how to do them in style
Few of us can resist a holiday in Europe’s most elegant country. Especially not those of us who dream of a nice glass of chianti on a…
Don’t be put off by the current travel chaos – the good times are just around the corner…
Maybe you are struggling to find reasons to be cheerful at the moment. But take heart. We may be going through a spasm of chaos as airlines…
Surprisingly weird: why there is more to Raphael’s portraits than meets the eye
In 1833, when the mania for Raphael was at its height, the Renaissance artist’s tomb was opened on the orders of the pope, to establish if his…
Canaletto’s Venice Revisited has details to absorb or amuse in every square inch
For most of the young lords gadding about Europe on their Grand Tours in the 18th century, stop-offs in Paris, Turin and Rome – perhaps Dresden and…
Canaletto’s Venice Revisited has details to absorb or amuse in every square inch
For most of the young lords gadding about Europe on their Grand Tours in the 18th century, stop-offs in Paris, Turin and Rome – perhaps Dresden and…
Bed, breakfast and water pistols: Venice arms tourists to fight off greedy gulls
Their great white wings flapping, they swoop from the sky to steal food from diners’ plates, but the gulls of Venice may now have met their match:…
The 10 ultimate Italian holidays, and how to do them in style
It is the travel news many of us have been waiting for. Especially those of us who dream of a nice glass of chianti on a warm…
The new hidden holiday costs for 2022 – and how to avoid them
In a little over a week, UK test rules will cease for vaccinated travellers, saving around £120 for a family of four. Perhaps this reduction in cost…
Row over Grand Canal reveals ups and downs of living in Venice
The standoff illustrates the challenges of day-to-day living in a city built on water. Without any cars, shopping is largely done on foot, with residents lugging trolleys…
Grand Canal elevator row reveals ups and downs of living in Venice
The standoff illustrates the challenges of day-to-day living in a city built on water. Without any cars, shopping is largely done on foot, with residents lugging trolleys…