In Pictures: The Brightest, Boldest Art At The Venice Biennale 2024

The sun-drenched sepia photograph shows a dapper European, handkerchief in pocket, cigarette in hand, sitting among a row of men dressed in bisht and keffiyeh. The moment was captured during Jacques Cartier's first visit to the Persian Gulf in 1911, on his way back to London from Delhi—part of a sales trip encouraged by his father, Alfred, then the head of Cartier. The decline of the Ottoman Empire and the 1905 Persian Constitutional Revolution had flooded Europe's artistic centers with new influences, forging an aesthetic then known as “the Muslim arts.” Eager to learn more, Jacques spent four months traveling throughout Asia and the Middle East, rifling through bazaars and emporiums and mixing with high society.

Padua, in northern Italy's Veneto region, is the site of one of the world’s greatest art treasures that should be on every art lover’s bucket list. The Scrovegni Chapel houses the extraordinary 14th-century fresco cycle by Giotto that covers all the walls and ceilings. Despite having such a masterpiece and being a lovely small city, filled with history, culture and culinary delights, Padua is far less touristy than other Italian other art cities like Florence, Rome or nearby Venice. It’s a real hidden gem. And, at just 25 miles from Venice and easy to reach from Marco Polo airport, Padua is an easy day trip or addition to a Venice itinerary.

Washington’s headline act is its natural environment.

There is a sense of humor around every corner when you're driving in the USA. How else to explain those wacky, way-out-in-left-field roadside attractions you’ll stumble upon? Sculptures made of cars, energy vortexes and oversized household items are just the beginning. Here are our favorite offbeat stops.

This summer, as you step into the grand halls of Rome's Palazzo Barberini, you'll find yourself amidst "Day for Night: New American Realism," an engaging exhibition that showcases over 150 works by American artists from the Tony and Elham Salamé collection. Curated by Massimiliano Gioni and Flaminia Gennari Santori, this exhibit explores the textured realities of American life, presented in collaboration with the Aïshti Foundation.

Ever dreamed of spending a night in the Ferrari Museum in Maranello, Italy, tucked in a bed crafted with the same leather as Ferrari car seats? What’s more, you’ll be surrounded by 110 elite trophies and encircled by the Ferrari cars that won those accolades and feel the speed of the Ferrari 296GTB on a private ride on the Pista di Fiorano, Ferrari’s private racetrack.

With summer just around the corner in the USA, you’re likely already dreaming of where to spend your vacation. 

While Milan is well known as a global fashion and design hub, it’s also one of the most exciting art cities in the world and art could easily keep any visitor fully occupied for days. Here are some of the best art museums to visit, highlights in each, along with suggestions of where to stay and eat.

It’s a Biennale time in Venice, aka the Art Olympics, an every-two-year event where La Serenissima’s 118 islands are almost entirely dedicated to contemporary art from countries and artists around the world. What started out as small art fair in the Giardini, Venice’s public park, has turned into a six-month, all-island, non-stop blockbuster art fest of exhibitions in palaces, galleries, public spaces, and, of course, the Giardini and Arsenale. This year’s 60th Venice Biennale Stranieri Ovunque - Foreigners Everywhere brings it on strong with 331 artists, 88 national pavilions and 30 collateral events, not to mention other pop ups. That’s a lot of art to take in, and a lot of ground to cover. After years of visiting the Biennale as press and also including time working at the US Pavilion, I’ve finally figured out the best way to navigatee Venice Biennale.

The 60th edition of the art extravaganza that’s the Venice Biennale runs until 24 November at the two main venues Giardini and Arsenale. as well as countless offsite locations, official and unofficial. There are 88 National participations this year, with four countries participating for the first time: Republic of Benin, Ethiopia, United Republic of Tanzania, and Democratic Republic of Timor Leste. Here are eleven of the must see country pavilions.

The creations of Arizona-born Orlando Dugi, a member of the Diné Nation, are nothing if not dramatic: gowns glittering with delicate beadwork, silks embroidered with symbolic flora and fauna. Some have been exhibited at places like the Denver Art Museum and the Autry Museum of the American West in Los Angeles. While his imagination is fueled by his upbringing—days spent watching his grandmother sew and nights stargazing at his family's sheep ranch—Dugi also finds inspiration in Santa Fe, which he's called home since 2010. “All the tribal, colonial, and Spanish history—it's all here,” he says. “It's very small, but it's also pretty international.” New Mexico's capital city is set to draw a global audience as host of the inaugural Santa Fe Native Fashion Week, the first of its kind in the country, held from May 2 to 5, where Dugi will present highlights from his mens- and womenswear collections. When he's not designing, he enjoys connecting with Indigenous culture on the ancestral lands of the Tewa people—or kicking back with a margarita.

Before joining TPG in 2021, I was a newbie to the world of points and miles. Despite traveling frequently throughout the previous decade, I was oblivious to the benefits of loyalty programs or how straightforward it could be to earn points or miles for airfare and hotel stays.