Is there a ‘Venice Effect’? Participation in the Venice Biennale and the implications for artists’ careers

Abstract

Prestige is widely considered to positively influence the careers of artists, and the Venice Biennale is arguably the most prestigious event in the international visual arts calendar. This article examines the impact that appearing in the Venice Biennale has on artists’ careers. With a sample of 98 artists from six countries who participated in the Biennale in the 20 years between 1997 and 2017, we used data relating to artists’ exhibition activity over a 10 year window split equally prior to and after their appearance at Venice to test how appearance at the Biennale impacts on total exhibition activity, as well as on their solo and international exhibition activity. The article examines whether a positive ‘Venice effect’ can be identified in participating artists’ career development by comparing changes in exhibition activity. We test whether gender, career stage and representing a peripheral art country (as opposed to a core art country) has an impact on artists’ post-Venice Biennale exhibition activity level. The article finds no evidence to support the existence of a universal ‘Venice effect’ in the number of exhibitions that artists appear in after their appearance. However, two findings do suggest a limited positive impact. Firstly, more established artists appear in a greater proportion of international and solo exhibitions after their appearance at the Biennale, suggesting that the quality of exhibition opportunities increases as a result of their exposure at Venice. Secondly, one country – South Korea – experiences an increase in the volume of exhibition opportunity after their appearance at Venice. This increase is apparent across male and female artists, and at all career stages. The article argues that the influence of Biennale appearance on an artist's career depends on the approach taken to selection by the country they represent, as well as the approach taken to the Biennale opportunity by each cohort and individual artist.