Punta della Dogana

The stunning contemporary art museum, which opened in 2009 to coincide with the Venice Biennale, showcases the blue-chip collection of French collector Francois Pinault. Whether you love or loathe Pinault’s gathering of greatest hits (Hirst, Sherman, Koons, Murakami etc), the museum is worth seeing for the spectacular building, a former 17th-century customs house, envisioned and designed by Japanese architect Tadao Ando. Many of the works seem virtually created for the dramatic beauty of Ando’s spaces. There’s German artist Sigmar Polke’s Axial Age, a huge painting cycle of monochromatic, translucent panels; photographer Hiroshi Sugimoto’s series of ethereal images called Stylized Sculpture; and Fischli & Weiss’ whimsical Sonne Mond und Sterne in which magazine ads tell a playful tale of the life cycles. Be sure to get the audio tour and plan to spend some time in this special gallery. Closed Tuesday.