2022 Venice Biennale sets all-time attendance record
After seven months jam-packed with showcases of more than 1,500 artworks by 218 artists from 58 countries, the 2022 edition of the Venice Biennale has closed.
Though held amid seismic international events including the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the show attracted a staggering number of visitors: more than 800,000, plus an additional 22,500 people who went to the various previews, Artnet reported.
The record-breaking figure represents a 35 percent increase compared to ticket sales in 2019, though the fair did run for 197 days in 2022 instead of the 173 that year. More impressive is the fact that the visitors—59 percent of which were foreign and 41 percent Italian—made the journey amid pandemic-related travel restrictions.
Additionally, the fair’s official Instagram account gained more than 136,000 new followers since the 2022 edition opened in April, with the most popular post featuring an image of Golden Lion winner Cecilia Vicuña.