In this interdisciplinary liberal arts program, you’ll have the chance to examine historic national pavilions in the Biennale Gardens, engage with the work of dozens of prominent contemporary artists (including Yto Barrada, Lubaina Himid, and Ei Arakawa-Nash) in the Giardini and the Arsenale, interrogate the logic of leading curators, weigh the assessments of art critics, and develop your own critical positions in response. And two onsite MICA faculty members will offer personal support during each step of your journey. In addition to investigating the history and current form of the Biennale, we will seek out collateral events, projects, and installations throughout seductive, labyrinthine Venice. You will tour Peggy Guggenheim’s jewel-like collection of modern art, the creatively curated Mario Fortuny Museum, the François Pinault Collection, and the Prada Foundation, gaining insights into the international art scene embedded in Venice. As you visit the Murano glass industry, the dramatic mosaic of the Last Judgment in the Basilica of Santa Maria Assunta, and Giotto’s Arena Chapel, you will practice a form of art-historical analysis rooted in direct observation. Over the course of four weeks, too, you’ll absorb the myriad sights and sounds of contemporary Venice, a favorite destination of cosmopolitan travelers for centuries. Most class meetings will be held onsite, in galleries, palaces, city squares, and the shady green spaces of the Giardini; those lessons will be supplemented with occasional classroom lectures and discussions. Local experts, curators, art historians, and artists will provide special insights, and day trips to nearby towns such as Padua and Ferrara will offer a chance to explore Italy’s rich historical and artistic cultures from several angles. Moreover, you’ll live on the beautiful, breezy island of San Servolo, just ten minutes away from the historic Piazza San Marco. Fully equipped with wireless connections, an affordable cafeteria, luxurious grounds, and access to the nearby Lido beaches, San Servolo provides a wonderful and relaxing balance to the rigorous, academic side of this program.