20 Hours in Venice: Palazzo Grassi

Jeff Koons' whimsical doggie sculpture looked great outside Palazzo Grassi.

I arrived by train to a picture-perfect Venice -- blue skies, warm weather and Carnivale in full swing. I had even less time in Venice than in Rome. CM had told me to check out the recently re-opened Palazzo Grassi. Francois Pinault, owner of Gucci among other luxury lifestyle and retail businesses, had bought the palazzo from Fiat boss, Gianni Agnelli, in 2005. He then had Tadao Ando refurbish it, with the result being a well-balanced space that not only preserves the building's historical architectural elements such as its beautiful ceilings and mouldings, but also allows for simple backdrops that can show off contemporary pieces of artwork. Palazzo Grassi now houses and showcases Pinault's art collection along with temporary exhibits (Picasso: La Joie de Vivre 1945-1948 is currently on, but I actually found pieces from Pinault's collection more interesting).