Pavilion of Uruguay at La Biennale di Venezia

History of the Biennale

The Venice Biennale is one of the most prestigious cultural institutions in the world. Established in the Napoleonic Gardens since 1895, its first opening welcomed around 224,000 visitors, a success that prompted the decision to institutionalize it.

In the first decade of the 20th century, several countries began installing their pavilions at the exhibition, where the number of visitors increased to 600,000. Today, from Latin America, the countries that have their own pavilions are Brazil, Venezuela, and Uruguay.

The Uruguayan Pavilion

The Uruguay Pavilion at the Biennale di Venezia, acquired in 1960, is a rectangular floor plan measuring 12 x 8 m2; artistic space, property of the State, granted by the Municipality of Venice until 2027; the concessions of the right of use are renewed every 19 years. Until 2017, Uruguayan submissions were selected by the Ministry of Education and Culture, both artists and curators. As of 2018, submissions are selected through open calls from the National Directorate of Culture and its National Institute of Visual Arts. The National Commission of Visual Arts makes the selection.