Since 1928
What the ASAC is
The Historical Archives of Contemporary Arts (ASAC) collects, catalogues, expands and evaluates the conservational and documentary assets of the Venice Biennale, gathered from 1895 to the present.
Located in the VEGA complex in the mainland of Venice, the ASAC offers services of documentation, research and experimentation in the field of contemporary arts: visual arts, architecture, cinema, music, dance, and theatre.
It also promotes the circulation of documentary material produced by the Biennale at institutions, cultural associations, schools, and universities, collaborating with the various sectors in organising events.
Collections
The ASAC is a multi-disciplinary and multimedia structure that includes the following collections:
Historic fund / Photo library / Film library / Media library / Poster collection / Documentary material / Library / Periodicals / Collection of scores / Artistic fund.
Fund consultation can be made online for a part of the materials:
Fundamental books and periodicals The Library and CD of the Mediateca fund can be accessed through the online catalog online catalog of the National Library Service (Servizio Bibliotecario Nazionale - SBN), which is headed by the Central Institute for the Single Catalog (Istituto Centrale per il Catalogo Unico - ICCU) of Rome, which can be accessed through the Polo SBN of Venice, run by the Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana.
They are available in ASAC data - a unitary computerized database in deployment for the management and access to archive materials - information about current and historical cultural events and cultural activities in the Biennale. In particular: the data relating to the Mostra del Cinema di Venezia, from the first edition of 1932 to the last of 2010; The editions from 1895 to 1924 and from 1995 to 2009 of the Art Exhibition, in addition to the 2008, 2010 edition of the Architecture Exhibitions, and the latest editions of Dance, Music and Theater Festivals. ASAC data allows the consultation of catalogs and, for certain types of materials, access to the document itself (digitized photos and posters, movie trailers).
Venues
Currently the Historical Archive is located in the following open locations to the public:
The Historical Archive and its funds and collections
at VEGA - Venice Gateway for Science and Technology, Cygnus Building, where you can find all the funds and collections and workshops for the treatment of materials.
The New Biennale Library
at Castle Gardens, Central Pavilion, where is the Library and the collection of current periodicals related to the editions of the last three years.
In Ca 'Giustinian you can see a substantial part of the works belonging to the Artistic Fund.
Other materials of the Archives are kept at specialist facilities:
The Cineteca Comencini di Milano (www.cinetecamilano.it) and the Cineteca di Bologna (www.cinetecadibologna.it) where the flammable films are stored;
The Archives of the IUAV University of Venice (www.iuav.it) where the documentation on the editions of the International Architecture Exhibitions of 1985-1991 is kept and consulted.