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The Venice Biennale is the oldest bi-annual international contemporary art exhibition of its kind, starting in 1895 and only breaking for six years during World War II. Despite my own interest in international contemporary art and the regular occurrence of this event, I am embarrassed to say this was my first time at the Biennale. I had been to Venice twice before, on my school choir tour and the second time with Prof John Onians and the School of World Art Studies as an undergraduate. Both these previous trips had offered unique, in-depth and varied experiences of the art and architecture of this famous city. This autumn once again the city surprised me, revealing a whole new side of its complexity through a vast array of exhibitions in unexpected places; disused buildings, purpose built pavilions, renaissance churches and historic grand palaces.