Massimiliano Gioni will direct the next edition of the Venice Biennale’s international art exhibition, it was announced Jan 31 in Venice. Associate director of New York’s New Museum for Contemporary Art and artistic director of Milan’s Foundation Trussardi, Gioni is considered a rising talent in the international art scene. He earned numerous accolades for his direction of 2010’s 8th Gwangju Biennale, “10,000 Lives,” and has contributed to other international art exhibitions including the 4th Berlin Biennale in 2006, Manifesta 5 in 2004 and the 50th Venice Biennale in 2003. He will be overseeing the 55th edition of the Biennale, and has a little over a year before the exhibition opens in 2013.
In a statement to the press, the chairman of the Board of Directors of the Venice Biennale, Paolo Baratta, cited Gioni’s combination of youth and achievement in explaining the decision, commenting that the curator has “[won] the esteem of artists and critics around the world.”
In addition to Gioni’s appointment, the Board also announced the appointment of Italian composer Ivan Fedele to direct the music sector for a four-year period from 2012-15; and confirmed the renewal of the appointments of the current theatre and dance sectors, Alex Rigola and Ismael Ivo.
Related:
Massimiliano Gioni: Retrospect/Forecast 2010/2011
Dan Cameron on “10,000 Lives”
Massimiliano Gioni on “10,000 Lives”