Why do so many countries waste so much money buying space in Venice to show their art when they could run their own Biennales? Why haven't the UK Art aficionados done just that? It can't be because they all want to spend a few days in Venice at inflated prices both in the hotels and in the restaurants? It must be because they are all on expenses as Joe Citizen simply couldn't afford the costs.
Mind you hardly any Joe Citizens actually go to the Venice Biennale.
Q. How many paying customers from around the world were there to the Venice Biennale in 2009? I million? 2 million?
A. Just under 200,000 an absurdly low number for all the hype.
It's time the British Council rethought its Arts policy especially in Venice.