The Francois Pinault Collection

Positioned alongside the Venice Biennale, but strikingly separate from it, works from the Francois Pinault collection occupy the Punta della Dogana and the Palazzo Grassi. The show, curated by Francesco Bonami and Alison Gingeras is titled Mapping the Studio. Whatever connotations the show's title suggest are quickly overshadowed by the impressive roster of artists in the collection and the unparalleled scale of the works on display. It appears that Pinault owns the entire canon of contemporary art. The chance to see the likes of Cindy Sherman, Jeff Koons, Mike Kelley, Paul McCarthy and Rachel Whiteread, to name just a few, all in the same vicinity, in conversation with one another was a rare opportunity. This feeling is especially emphasized by a tight restriction on all photography. With funding for the Venice Biennale having been cut over 100,000 euros this year compared to 2007, one gets a sense that the art world is shrinking into the hands of a few billionaires who can afford to keep the party going. Pinault's collection is almost surreal; an Untitled (Nazi Dance Party) in the midst of an economic crisis. And the guards are all wearing Armani suits.