false Photo by Mario Sorrenti for The Wall Street Journal Magazine
The city of Venice has acted as a catalyst for artists for centuries, energizing an array of talents—from Titian to Henry James, Palladio to Luchino Visconti—and resulting in some of their most enduring work. Here they discovered inspiration in the winding alleys of the floating city and in the glow of gothic palazzi washed in sunlight. That vibrant tradition of imagination is nowhere more evident than at the Venice Biennale, whose 57th edition runs through November, gathering artists and visionaries from around the world to share their unique practices and ideas. Here, the leading lights of today’s artistic firmament open up about their careers, in La Serenissima and beyond, as we get swept away by the romanticism of the city—the perfect backdrop for fall’s most daring looks.