Italica

The VICE Guide to the Venice Biennale

Every two years, Venice hosts the most important contemporary art exhibition in the world. Over a period of six months, the Biennale welcomes over 375,000 visitors and raises millions of Euros. We went to Venice a few months before the official opening to meet artists, curators, and producers, and to understand the impact such a massive art event has on the city and its citizens. Full story

I Spent the Evening at Chuck E. Cheese's, the Most Magical Place on Earth

You’re young. You’re shitty. So why aren’t you at Chuck E. Cheese’s? It is, after all, where “a kid can be a kid,” and the last time I checked, your maturity level would place you thoroughly within that demographic. Did I mention it serves beer? It serves beer. Full story

Californian Vintners Are Putting Weed in Their Wine

Weed wine is always found in an unlabeled bottle with a blank cork and I try not to get too excited or aggressively ask for more. My advice to wine enthusiasts who enjoy a decent marijuana high is to just stay cool and pray that some of this wine lands in your glass one day. Full story

The Art of Taboo: Nobuyuki Oura

Artists have always used taboo and controversy to pose questions about society. In the first episode of "The Art of Taboo" we focus on Oura Nobuyuki, who explains the meaning behind his highly controversial portraits of Japan's Showa emperor, titled "Holding Perspective." Full story

VICE on HBO Extended

Senegalese Laamb Wrestling - Marabout Ritual

The most popular sport in Senegal isn’t soccer—it’s laamb, combining Greco-Roman wrestling moves with eclectic pre-fight rituals and dances. Laamb’s appeal has skyrocketed as the nation’s economy has plunged, and the top stars are the Michael Jordans of their country. In this seg… Full story

Somaliland Is a Real Country, According to Somaliland

At the back corner of the top floor of a little office building in London’s East End, around the corner from the Tesco down Mile End Road from the Whitechapel subway stop, sits the one-room Somaliland Mission in the UK. Yes, Somaliland, not Somalia. Full story

Wild Things

The $wiftest Pigeon

China's spoiled young princelings aren't content with buying horses, sports cars, and insanely tacky watches alone. In tribute to the intrepid bootleggers who've propped up their country's market economy, China's rich have taken arguably the worst bird of all time, the pigeon, an… Full story

The Mating Rituals of the Renaissance Pleasure Fair

In many ways the fair is an elaborate mating ritual complete with pregaming, peacocking, and corsets. Inhibitions dissipate, marriages open up, and mistakes are made. But don’t worry, what happens at the faire is between you and your god, and as the cosplaying Puritans like to sa… Full story

Wild Things

The $wiftest Pigeon - Trailer

What is the sound of 1 million yuan flapping? China's spoiled young princelings have taken arguably the worst bird of all time, the pigeon, and slapped a Louis Vuitton logo on it. Racing pigeons are the new thoroughbreds here, with birds auctioning for hundreds of thousands of do… Full story

Welcome to Christmas, Florida

Christmas, Florida, sits between Orlando and Cape Canaveral. The yuletide name of the community comes from the Second Seminole War. On December 25th, 1837, more than 2,000 US soldiers built a supply fort for the war. They never saw a day of battle. The place today seems like an o… Full story

Anime North Is Canada's Nerd Utopia

Anime North is the largest convention of its kind in Canada and its attendees think of it as the perfect social atmosphere to get weird. Attendees of the convention are united by the same embarrassing hobbies, fostering the kind of environment where nobody is cool and nobody is d… Full story

Cries and Whispers in Obamastan

In Cuba male prostitutes, 'pingueros,' have mixed in with gay people in Havana in growing numbers, numbers that correlate closely with the spread of private enterprise, income inequality, and foreign-made consumer goods. Full story

The Perils of Staging a Gay Pride March in Ukraine

Ukraine was the first post-Soviet country to legalize homosexuality, which is obviously commendable, but difficult to understand given recent history. Last year, Kiev's first-ever gay pride parade was called off half an hour before it was supposed to start. This time around, orga… Full story

Spanish Bombs: Granada Unveils Joe Strummer Plaza

Punk rock was never meant to gain municipal recognition, but with time it often occurs that what was once rebellion becomes part of the establishment. Joe Strummer of the Clash has been no stranger to public acknowledgement, and yesterday the city of Granada, Spain, named a plaza… Full story