PALAZZO GRASSI
Palace located on the left bank of the Grand Canal housing the Pinault collection with modern and contemporary art.
Palazzo Grassi faces Ca'Rezzonico on the left bank of the Grand Canal. It was built by Giorgio Massari between 1748 and 1766 before being recently renovated in a minimalist way by the Japanese architect Tadao Ando. In April 2005, the French businessman François Pinault bought the place from the Agnelli group. The aim was to turn it into a modern contemporary art center where his collection (rich in more than 3,000 works of art of all currents) could be exhibited to the general public, after having given up on founding such a center on the Ile Seguin in Boulogne-Billancourt. The Pinault collection exhibited in Venice includes a wide panorama of modern and contemporary art with pieces from pop art,arte povera, minimalism, abstraction... Among the most famous are: Mondrian, Picasso, Andy Warhol, Rothko, De Kooning, Jeff Koons, Cindy Sherman. Very often, the works presented fit perfectly with the architecture of Palazzo Grassi. The museum now shares its collection with the Punta della Dogana, the French entrepreneur's latest acquisition. Just behind the Palazzo is the Teatrino Grassi (Calle delle Carrozze), opened in 2013 and restored once again by Tadao Ando. This rectangular building contains magnificent volumes. Over 1,000square meters, it now hosts cultural meetings, temporary exhibitions, workshops (children welcome), audiovisual projections, ballets and concerts in a room with perfect acoustics.