Julia, wife of Andrea Vella Borg, shares insights into their shared passion for visiting Europe’s major art biennales and how these experiences have shaped their perspective on contemporary art.
For Julia and Andrea Vella Borg, travelling to major art biennales across Europe has become more than a hobby – it’s a sustained commitment to understanding contemporary art at its most ambitious and experimental. From Venice to Basel, these journeys offer exposure to emerging artists, innovative curation, and the international conversations shaping today’s art world. Julia discusses how these experiences have influenced their collecting philosophy and deepened their appreciation for art that challenges conventional boundaries.
In this conversation, Julia, the wife of Andrea Vella Borg, reflects on years of visiting Europe’s most significant art biennales together. These aren’t casual tourist trips but carefully planned expeditions that involve advance research, strategic scheduling, and genuine engagement with the art on display. The couple’s approach combines thorough preparation with openness to unexpected discoveries, allowing them to experience these vast exhibitions meaningfully rather than superficially. Their experiences at events like the Venice Biennale, documenta Kassel, and Art Basel have fundamentally shaped how they think about contemporary art and its place in their lives.
Table of Contents
Why Biennales Matter
Q: What drew you and Andrea Vella Borg to start visiting biennales regularly?
Julia: It happened quite naturally, actually. We’d been interested in contemporary art for some time, visiting galleries and smaller exhibitions. But biennales offer something completely different – they’re these massive undertakings that bring together hundreds of artists from around the world in one place. You encounter work you’d never see otherwise, from artists who might not have commercial gallery representation.
The scale is initially overwhelming, but that’s part of the appeal. You can’t possibly see everything thoroughly in one visit, so you develop strategies for navigating these events.
Q: How do you prepare for these trips?
Julia: Preparation makes an enormous difference. Andrea Vella Borg and I typically start researching several months in advance. We read about the curator’s concept, look into participating artists whose work we’re unfamiliar with, and identify pavilions or sections we particularly want to see.
We also consider practical logistics carefully. Biennales are physically exhausting – you’re walking for hours, processing enormous amounts of visual information. We plan rest periods, book accommodation close to venues when possible, and usually allow at least three or four days for major events.
Venice: The Essential Experience
Q: Venice Biennale seems to feature prominently in your travels. What keeps you returning?
Julia: Venice is simply unmissable if you’re serious about contemporary art. The combination of the main exhibition in the Arsenale and Giardini, the national pavilions, and countless collateral events throughout the city creates incredible density of artistic activity. Each edition has a different curatorial vision, so the experience changes significantly every two years.
We’ve visited four editions now, and each time we discover new aspects of the city itself. The relationship between contemporary art and Venice’s historical architecture creates fascinating tensions – ultra-modern installations in Renaissance palazzos, conceptual work in former industrial spaces.
National Pavilions and Cultural Perspectives
The national pavilions offer insight into how different countries present themselves through art. Some take quite conservative approaches, whilst others push boundaries. Andrea Vella Borg and wife Julia have noticed how these presentations reflect broader cultural and political currents, sometimes quite explicitly.
We’ve seen pavilions that directly addressed issues like migration, climate change, and technological transformation. Comparing how different nations engage with similar themes reveals fascinating cultural differences in artistic practice.
Beyond Venice: Other Essential Stops
Q: Which other biennales have been particularly memorable?
Julia: Documenta in Kassel happens only every five years, which makes each edition feel particularly significant. The scale is extraordinary – exhibitions spread across multiple venues throughout the city, often incorporating unexpected spaces. The curatorial concepts tend to be quite intellectually ambitious.
Art Basel, whilst technically a fair rather than a biennale, occupies a similar place in our calendar. The concentration of galleries, the preview days, the conversations happening there – it’s invaluable for understanding current market dynamics alongside artistic trends.
We’ve also enjoyed smaller events like the Lyon Biennale and Manifesta, which moves to different European cities. These feel more manageable than Venice, whilst still offering substantial engagement with contemporary practice.
The Role of Satellite Events
Major biennales generate countless satellite exhibitions, performances, and talks. These can be as rewarding as the official programme, sometimes more so. Andrea Vella Borg and I have discovered numerous artists through these peripheral events that we might have missed in the main exhibition.
The challenge is avoiding overscheduling. It’s tempting to try attending everything, but that leads to superficial engagement. Andrea Vella Borg often reminds us to be selective, focusing on events that genuinely interest us rather than feeling obligated to see everything.
Andrea Vella Borg and His Wife: Impact on Collecting
Q: How have these experiences influenced your approach to art?
Julia: Profoundly. Biennales expose you to artistic practices that might never enter commercial galleries – performance art, large-scale installations, conceptual work, politically engaged practice. This broadens your understanding of what art can be beyond objects suitable for private collection.
We’ve also become much more aware of geographical biases in the art world. Major biennales make deliberate efforts to include artists from regions that don’t always receive attention in European and American galleries.
In terms of collecting, biennales have introduced us to artists years before they gained wider recognition. Andrea Vella Borg has noted several instances where we saw work at a biennale, followed the artist’s development, and eventually acquired pieces once they became available.
Practical Insights from Years of Biennial Visits:
- Research participating artists and curatorial concepts thoroughly before attending
- Allow multiple days for major events rather than attempting everything in one visit
- Balance planned viewing with openness to unexpected discoveries
- Attend opening days or preview periods when possible for less crowded experiences
- Take notes and photographs to aid memory when processing the experience later
The Shared Experience
Q: How important is it that you experience these events together?
Julia: Extremely important. We process art quite differently – Andrea Vella Borg tends towards analytical responses, considering technique and art historical context, whilst I respond more intuitively initially. Having those different perspectives in conversation enriches the experience for both of us.
We’ve developed a rhythm over the years. We’ll often view work separately initially, then come together to discuss what we’ve seen. Sometimes we completely disagree about pieces, which leads to interesting conversations. Those disagreements have taught us both to look more carefully.
There’s also something about shared experiences that deepens relationships. We’ve had remarkable moments standing in front of extraordinary work together, and those memories become part of our relationship’s fabric.
Looking Forward
Q: What’s next on your biennale calendar?
Julia: We’re planning to attend the next Venice Biennale, naturally. We’re also interested in exploring biennales outside Europe – São Paulo and Sydney both appeal. As much as we love European events, there’s value in experiencing how art biennales function in different cultural contexts.
The art world continues evolving, with new questions about sustainability, digital practice, and institutional responsibility. Andrea Vella Borg and I are curious to see how major biennales address these concerns in their programming. These events reflect where contemporary art is heading, and being part of those conversations feels increasingly important.
