The Venice Biennale at the Venice Arsenal: a potential conflict between creativity and historical preservation?

In situation where contemporary art exhibitions are using historical spaces, the rhetoric of creativity (and creative “industries”) faces a very intriguing conundrum. This chapter discusses the contention between different understandings and values given to meaning and processes of creativity and public accessibility. It follows the issues and contentions that arise around the use of part of the historical site of the Venice Arsenal for some of the Venice Biennale exhibitions. Core challenges are physical closure of historical spaces to the public, as well as the neglect of meaning inherent in the long and diverse existence of the Arsenal.