Santa Maria Della Salute, also known as Saint Mary of Health, stands majestically at Punta Della Dogana by the Grand Canal in the city of Venice. In 1631, Venice experienced an unusually devastating plague when nearly a third of the population was wiped out. As a votive offering, the Republic of Venice vowed to build and dedicate a church to Our Lady of Health with objects of art that bore reference to the Black Death. In March 2022, after postponement due to Covid-19 that killed thousands in the city, the 59th Venice Biennale opened under the theme of "The Milk Of Dreams" and was welcomed like a warm delicious latte by the art world.
Founded in 1895, the International Exhibition of Art, Venice Biennale has been described as the Olympics of the art world. Placed in the Giardini, pavilions were built to display art from various nations similar to International Expositions and World Fairs. Over the years, however, the format of national representation was criticised as outdated and obsolete due to emphasis on first-world nations, colonial past and institutional fixity. That led to a thematic format with the expansion of the Arsenale and the warehouses of industrial buildings as well as palazzos, churches and art spaces to accommodate countries and art projects. In this edition, 80 participating nations offer a variety of art that make Venice once again full of buzz and excitement.
