All About Art

What exactly is a biennale, and why do they matter in the art world? In this solo episode, I’m breaking down one of the art world’s most iconic and contested formats, from its origins at the very first Venice Biennale in 1895 to the sprawling, politically charged mega-exhibitions we know today.
In the episode, we move through the history of how biennales evolved from nationalist showcases into curator-led events grappling with postcolonial discourse, identity politics, and climate change. I then touch on some of the most influential editions across Venice, São Paulo, Kassel, and beyond. We get into the controversies, including the the Dana Schutz and Open Casket debate at the 2017 Whitney Biennial, the board resignation that followed artist protests in 2019, and the antisemitism scandal that overshadowed Documenta 15 in 2022.

Sources:
Paintings from the Venice Biennale – Listory

In 1895, the 1st Venice Biennale faces its first censorship scandal – Arte Brasileiros

The Dana Schutz Emmett Till painting controversy at the Whitney Biennial – The Guardian

Warren Kanders resigns from Whitney Museum board – The New York Times

Statement by Taring Padi on dismantling People's Justice – Documenta Fifteen
Who Killed the Independent Curator? – Frieze

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If you love what we do, support ALL ABOUT ART on PATREON!  ⁠https://www.patreon.com/allaboutart⁠

Keep up to date on Instagram @allaboutartpodcast  ⁠https://www.instagram.com/allaboutartpodcast/⁠ 

ABOUT THE HOST:
I am an Austrian-American art historian, curator, and writer. I obtained my BA in History of Art at University College London and my MA in Arts Administration and Cultural Policy at Goldsmiths, University of London. My specializations are in contemporary art and the contemporary art market along with accessibility, engagement, and the demystification of the professional art sector.

SOCIALS: 
Instagram⁠ @alexandrasteinacker https://www.instagram.com/alexandrasteinacker

and LinkedIn at ⁠Alexandra Steinacker-Clark⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandra-steinacker/

This episode is produced at Synergy https://synergy.tech/the-clubhouse/the-podcast-studio/ 

COVER ART: Lisa Schrofner a.k.a Liser⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.liser-art.com/ and Luca Laurence https://www.graffitikunst.at/

Research and Creative Assistant: Iris Epstein

Boats passing, waves lapping along the sides of buildings in the city of canals… and I am sitting outside the Icelandic Pavilion, peeking into the Pocket Universe created by artist Ásta Fanney Sigurðardóttir. 

For this Biennale Exclusive episode, I speak to Ásta about her work and the exhibition she created for this year’s Venice Biennale In Minor Keys, but I also got to speak to Cecilie Ragnheiðardóttir Gaihede, the Director of the Icelandic Art Centre, and the co-curator of Pocket Unviverse, Margrét Áskelsdóttir. 

I ask them about their roles, what the experience has been like to put together a national pavilion for an international stage, why it’s important to participate in the Venice Biennale as a nation, and so much more.

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If you love what we do, support ALL ABOUT ART on PATREON!  ⁠https://www.patreon.com/allaboutart⁠

Keep up to date on Instagram @allaboutartpodcast  ⁠https://www.instagram.com/allaboutartpodcast/⁠ 

ABOUT THE HOST:
I am an Austrian-American art historian, curator, and writer. I obtained my BA in History of Art at University College London and my MA in Arts Administration and Cultural Policy at Goldsmiths, University of London. My specializations are in contemporary art and the contemporary art market along with accessibility, engagement, and the demystification of the professional art sector.

SOCIALS: 
Instagram⁠ @alexandrasteinacker https://www.instagram.com/alexandrasteinacker
and LinkedIn at ⁠Alexandra Steinacker-Clark⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandra-steinacker/

COVER ART: Lisa Schrofner a.k.a Liser⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.liser-art.com/ and Luca Laurence https://www.graffitikunst.at/

ALL ABOUT ART TURNED 5 in April !!! On April 2nd, 2021, deep in Covid lockdowns, I decided to launch the pod. Now, in 2026, here we are - with a global audience spanning over 115 countries, thousands of downloads and monthly listeners, collaborations with institutions and amazing cultural professionals, and… A BOOK DEAL.

I started this podcast because I had no idea what working in the art world actually looked like. My university wasn’t telling me, career services wasn’t telling me, books weren’t telling me, so I started asking people directly and wanted to record it all.

To commemorate 5 years of All About Art AND the launch of my book Working in Art: How to build a career in the art world all within the span of a week, in this special episode, I share five lessons drawn from over 130 conversations with museum directors, curators, gallerists, art handlers, auction house specialists, and more.

There’s also a lot I wish someone had just told me a decade ago when I was starting out in the arts, which is, honestly, the reason the book exists. Working in Art is the first book written specifically for people who want to work in the art world but aren’t making art themselves. No equivalent existed when I was starting out, and it should have…. so now, it does 😉

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If you love what we do, support ALL ABOUT ART on PATREON!  ⁠https://www.patreon.com/allaboutart⁠

Keep up to date on Instagram @allaboutartpodcast  ⁠https://www.instagram.com/allaboutartpodcast/⁠ 

ABOUT THE HOST:
I am an Austrian-American art historian, curator, and writer. I obtained my BA in History of Art at University College London and my MA in Arts Administration and Cultural Policy at Goldsmiths, University of London. My specializations are in contemporary art and the contemporary art market along with accessibility, engagement, and the demystification of the professional art sector.

SOCIALS: 
Instagram⁠ @alexandrasteinacker https://www.instagram.com/alexandrasteinacker

and LinkedIn at ⁠Alexandra Steinacker-Clark⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandra-steinacker/

This episode is produced at Synergy https://synergy.tech/the-clubhouse/the-podcast-studio/ 

COVER ART: Lisa Schrofner a.k.a Liser⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.liser-art.com/ and Luca Laurence https://www.graffitikunst.at/

Research and Creative Assistant: Iris Epstein

What Is an Art Foundation, Actually?
The word “foundation” appears quite frequently in the art world, but I feel like most people, including those already working in the sector, would perhaps struggle to define what one actually is. This episode attempted to tackle that definition, and it may have clarified some things, but I also think it made things more confusing. 🤪

Inspired by my recent interview with Elisa Nuyten of the Vega Foundation (scroll further down for that episode😇), I got curious about the structural side of things. I cover:
What foundations do

How they’re funded

Who works in them

And where they sit in the broader art ecosystem.

I found it interesting to also trace the history of art foundations from Renaissance patronage through to the Guggenheim, the Warhol Foundation, Dia Art Foundation, and Prada Foundation, for example. I look at why foundations get established in the first place (legacy, tax structures, private wealth, artistic mission) and what makes them different from museums, galleries, and artist-run spaces.

A final note to this, and why I was motivated to look into it more: because public arts funding has been cut repeatedly in the UK (and elsewhere), foundations are increasingly filling gaps that governments no longer fill.

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If you love what we do, support ALL ABOUT ART on PATREON!  ⁠https://www.patreon.com/allaboutart⁠

Keep up to date on Instagram @allaboutartpodcast  ⁠https://www.instagram.com/allaboutartpodcast/⁠ 

ABOUT THE HOST:
I am an Austrian-American art historian, curator, and writer. I obtained my BA in History of Art at University College London and my MA in Arts Administration and Cultural Policy at Goldsmiths, University of London. My specializations are in contemporary art and the contemporary art market along with accessibility, engagement, and the demystification of the professional art sector.

SOCIALS: 
Instagram⁠ @alexandrasteinacker https://www.instagram.com/alexandrasteinacker
and LinkedIn at ⁠Alexandra Steinacker-Clark⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandra-steinacker/

This episode is produced at Synergy https://synergy.tech/the-clubhouse/the-podcast-studio/ 

COVER ART: Lisa Schrofner a.k.a Liser⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.liser-art.com/ and Luca Laurence https://www.graffitikunst.at/

Research and Creative Assistant: Iris Epstein

From Collector to Founder: Elisa Nuyten on Building The Vega Foundation

In this episode, I sat down with Elisa Nuyten, founder of The Vega Foundation, a Toronto-based organization dedicated to artists' film and video.

I speak to Elisa about what her foundation does - supporting a medium that many of us love but that often exists in the margins of the art world.

We talk about her journey from collector to foundation founder, including the practical realities of launching a foundation - the building blocks, the governance structures, and why she chose Toronto and Canada as home base.

I ask her about specific works from her collection that have shaped how she approaches the arts today, and why she felt compelled to focus specifically on moving image practices despite - or perhaps because of - the challenges this medium presents for collecting and display.

We talk about how the Vega Foundation has evolved over its first three years, the psychology of supporting experimental work, the unseen infrastructure that makes artists' film and video possible, and so much more.

Thank you Elisa for coming on the podcast!

You can follow The Vega Foundation on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/thevegafoundation/

You can check out The Vega Foundation's website here: https://www.thevegafoundation.com/

- - - - - 
If you love what we do, support ALL ABOUT ART on PATREON!  ⁠https://www.patreon.com/allaboutart⁠

Keep up to date on Instagram @allaboutartpodcast  ⁠https://www.instagram.com/allaboutartpodcast/⁠ 

ABOUT THE HOST:
I am an Austrian-American art historian, curator, and writer. I obtained my BA in History of Art at University College London and my MA in Arts Administration and Cultural Policy at Goldsmiths, University of London. My specializations are in contemporary art and the contemporary art market along with accessibility, engagement, and the demystification of the professional art sector.

SOCIALS: 
Instagram⁠ @alexandrasteinacker https://www.instagram.com/alexandrasteinacker
and LinkedIn at ⁠Alexandra Steinacker-Clark⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandra-steinacker/

This episode is produced at Synergy https://synergy.tech/the-clubhouse/the-podcast-studio/ 

COVER ART: Lisa Schrofner a.k.a Liser⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.liser-art.com/ and Luca Laurence https://www.graffitikunst.at/

Research and Creative Assistant: Iris Epstein