Synopsis
Long before the biennial circuit became the cliché it is today, the Venice Biennale was already a powerful market mechanism. The prestige of selection and a strong work could transform an unknown artist's prices and career trajectory almost overnight, while the fair's proximity to Art Basel often turned Venice buzz directly into Basel sales. I also examined the broader surge in biennials launching globally - because even then, as I wrote, “There are too many damn biennals.”
