The Korea Herald recommends three must-visit museum shows in Venice during the Venice Biennale. At Palazzo Grassi, the Pinault Collection presents "Michael Armitage. The Promise of Change," featuring the Kenya-born British painter's vivid works addressing sociopolitical tensions and migration. At Gallerie dell'Accademia, "Transforming Energy" by Marina Abramovic marks her 80th birthday, creating a dialogue between her performance art and Renaissance masterpieces. The Peggy Guggenheim Collection hosts "Peggy Guggenheim in London: The Making of a Collector," revisiting her formative years and her short-lived London gallery Guggenheim Jeune.
These shows matter because they offer a curated alternative to the overwhelming offerings of the Venice Biennale, highlighting how contemporary art engages with historical contexts and pressing global issues. Armitage's exhibition confronts violence and migration through painterly beauty, Abramovic's show bridges body art and classical tradition, and the Peggy Guggenheim exhibition illuminates the origins of one of the 20th century's most influential collectors. Together, they demonstrate the enduring power of museums to frame urgent conversations through art.