For over a century, Venice has hosted a major contemporary art exhibition every two years known as the Venice Biennale. It’s renowned for featuring an eclectic mix of international artists in national pavilions and a central pavilion. The Biennale’s artistic director, Massimiliano Gioni, defines this year’s theme called The Encyclopedic Palace as “the desire to know and understand everything, a desire that recurs throughout history of art.”

See more photos in the Venice Biennale 2013 gallery and Biennale di Venezia.

Photos from micmol, andaradagio, martongazso, Hypermorpheus, pilpatoe, and faiecca.