New International Curator for Liverpool Biennial
Liverpool Biennial has appointed Lorenzo Fusi as curator for the International, the lead exhibition of the Liverpool Biennial festival of contemporary art. He will be working on the development of the programme for the next festival – the UK’s Biennial – which takes place in 2010. Lorenzo will be working alongside curators from the Bluecoat, FACT [Foundation for Art and Contemporary Technology], Open Eye Gallery, and Tate Liverpool under the leadership of Liverpool Biennial Artistic Director, Lewis Biggs.
Lorenzo, who takes up his role in May, is currently Curator of sms contemporanea in Siena (Italy) and until 2008 he was Chief Curator at the Palazzo delle Papesse. He brings to Liverpool almost a decade of experience in delivering contemporary art commissions, with a distinct interest in politically and socially engaged work and a track record in new media and installation at an international level. He has developed a versatile and multi-disciplinary approach reflecting upon contemporary culture as a whole.
He has curated numerous solo shows including: Gordon Matta-Clark; Christian Boltanski; Anya Gallacio; Carlos Garaicoa; Barbara Kruger; Annette Messager; Cyprien Gaillard and Nari Ward, as well as a number of group exhibitions, and artists he has commissioned include Olafur Eliasson, Sergio Prego, Richard Wilson, Paul Morrison, Jenny Holzer and Emily Jacir.
Lorenzo has edited numerous catalogues and books, and collaborated with several institutions for touring shows or special projects. Within his work as a curator he has been able to explore issues related to gender, race, cultural identity, diversity and discrimination, and social or political conflicts via a series of group shows such as Identità & Nomadismo, System Error – War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning, and Il Palazzo delle Libertà.
He has a strong interest in artists from Africa. He recently organised a large survey of emerging artists from South Africa, entitled .za giovane arte dal Sudafrica, which he curated with Marlene Dumas, Kendell Geers, Bernie Searle, Minnette Vári and Sue Williamson.
Lorenzo has been a Member of the International Jury of the Prince de Pierre de Monaco for the Visual Art Prize since 2003.
Lorenzo Fusi adds: “I have always been interested in promoting and producing contemporary art in the public arena, especially in communities where the tradition of contemporary art is still being invented, where it is possible to engage with new audiences. I am really looking forward to working in Liverpool and contributing towards Liverpool Biennial’s national and international reputation.”
Paula Ridley, Chairman of Liverpool Biennial, says: “The International curator is a key role for Liverpool Biennial and we are all greatly excited by Lorenzo’s appointment. He joins Liverpool Biennial at a time when the art world will be looking to Liverpool Biennial to make great strides in building on the legacy of the last 10 years and the 2008 International in particular and his network throughout Italy and beyond will help us to do just that.”
Notes to editors
Established in 1998, Liverpool Biennial is one of the North West’s leading public art agencies as well as the UK’s largest and most widely reviewed festival of contemporary visual art. It contributed significantly to Liverpool’s year as European Capital of Culture 2008 with a programme of public art commissions and Liverpool Biennial 2008, which attracted over 450,000 visitors.
Since 2002, Liverpool Biennial has focused on commissioning new work from leading and emerging international artists. The Liverpool Biennial 2008 festival of contemporary visual art was presented by Liverpool Biennial, with the Walker Art Gallery (National Museums Liverpool), John Moores Liverpool Exhibition Trust, and New Contemporaries at Greenland Street (A Foundation). It also involved many smaller city centre galleries and alternative spaces.
For further media information contact: Antony Pickthall on 0151 709 7444 or 07948 303194 or antony [at] biennial.com
