I am planning on following Rick's suggested three day Venice tour. However, I have to cut it short on day three; must leave town by 15:00. I would like to check out La Biennale in the Giardini / Arsenale.
Is two hours enough time to dedicate to attending La Biennale?
I agree, two hours isn't enough, not if you plan to visit both Giardini and the Arsenale. Both are large and sprawling sites. It might be best to choose just one venue to visit. Pick up a map from tourist information when you arrive and choose which countries/ artists you want to see most. The map shows all the exhibition sites, including the 'national pavilions' in palazzi and buildings all around the city. Also browse the Biennale website and check out the links to the websites of the various countries who have set up Pavilions. There's also an art website with a photo tour of the Biennale:
http://universes-in-universe.org/eng/bien/venice_biennale/2009
You'll likely pass by some of the 'national pavilions' in the city buildings during your sightseeing, so might as well pop in and take a look at the art! Admission is free to these pavilions but not for the Giardini and Arsenale. Happy travels!
It would really be rushing it. I did the Arsenale in one hour but only stopped at about 10 installations out of all of them and the Giardini will take about 4 hours to go through the whole thing, but there are also exhibits throughout the city which you will most likely find while walking randomly through the city.
Would it be worth staying an extra evening?
That day is actually Saturday Nov. 21; The Feast of Our Lady of Good Health.
Hmm, might be interesting to stay for the Feast, though I've never seen it. Rick's three-day itinerary covers the artistic & historical highlights, by the end of that you might be tired out, and a fourth day to see more art might be pushing it. Some people love Venice enough to keep going back, others say three days is enough. If you're really into contemporary art, then maybe you could spend more time on Day 4 at both the Giardini and Arsenale (but still, it'd be impossible to see everything), chill out, walk around and just enjoy the city, especially away from the most heavily-touristed areas, though the city as a whole might be very crowded because of the Feast. After St Mark's, the Doges Palace, the Rialto, I'd say the next must-see sight from an artistic point of view would be the Tintoretto paintings at the Scuola Grande di San Rocco. And Rick's Accademia self-guided tour (in his book) is useful for a visitor with limited time. I found Venice to be rather expensive though, staying an extra day will eat into more of your budget. Or, as I've read elsewhere on the forum, plan on going back!
