Cecilia Alemani

Cecilia Alemani
Name	Cecilia Alemani
Birth date	1977
Birth place	Milan, Italy
Nationality	Italian
Alma mater	University of Bologna, University of Turin
Occupation	Curator, Art critic
Known for	Artistic Director, 59th Venice Biennale (2022)
Spouse	Massimiliano Gioni

Cecilia Alemani is an influential Italian curator and art critic, best known for serving as the Artistic Director of the 59th Venice Biennale in 2022. Her career is distinguished by a focus on contemporary art, with a particular emphasis on interdisciplinary practices, emerging artists, and feminist perspectives. Alemani has held significant curatorial positions in New York City, where she has organized major exhibitions and public art projects that have shaped international discourse.

Early life and education

Born in 1977 in Milan, she developed an early interest in the arts within the cultural milieu of northern Italy. She pursued her higher education in philosophy, earning a degree from the University of Bologna, an institution renowned for its humanities tradition. She furthered her academic studies at the University of Turin, where she completed a master's degree in Aesthetics. This philosophical foundation profoundly informed her subsequent curatorial methodology, blending theoretical rigor with a deep engagement with visual culture and the socio-political dimensions of art.

Career

Her professional journey began in Italy, where she worked as a critic for publications like Flash Art. In the early 2000s, she moved to New York City, a pivotal shift that launched her international career. From 2009 to 2010, she served as the Curatorial Director of the non-profit art space X Initiative. A major milestone was her appointment in 2011 as the Director and Chief Curator of High Line Art, the public art program of the High Line park in Manhattan. In this role, she commissioned and presented site-specific works by a global roster of artists including El Anatsui, Barbara Kruger, and John Baldessari, transforming the elevated park into a significant venue for contemporary art.

2022 Venice Biennale

Appointed as the Artistic Director for the 59th Venice Biennale, titled The Milk of Dreams, she made history as the first Italian woman to hold this prestigious position. The exhibition, presented at the Giardini and the Arsenale, was celebrated for its visionary and research-driven approach. Central themes included metamorphosis, representations of the body, and the relationship between individuals and technology, heavily informed by surrealist writer Leonora Carrington. The Biennale featured a predominant number of women and gender-nonconforming artists, with major presentations by Simone Leigh, Katharina Fritsch, and Ursula K. Le Guin's estate, and awarded the Golden Lion for Best National Participation to Sonia Boyce for the British Pavilion.

Other curatorial projects

Beyond the Venice Biennale, she has curated numerous significant exhibitions internationally. She was the curator of the Italian Pavilion at the 55th Venice Biennale in 2013. She has also served on the curatorial team for the 2017 Istanbul Biennial. In New York City, she curated the inaugural Art on the Mart projection series in Chicago. Her independent projects often explore the intersection of art, literature, and speculative fiction, having organized exhibitions at institutions like the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo in Turin.

Personal life

She is married to fellow curator Massimiliano Gioni, the Artistic Director of the New Museum in New York City. The couple, prominent figures in the international art world, frequently collaborate professionally and maintain residences in both New York City and Italy. They have one child together. Her personal and professional life is deeply intertwined with a network of artists, writers, and curators across Europe and North America.

Awards and recognition

Her work on the 59th Venice Biennale earned widespread critical acclaim, with the exhibition praised for its ambitious thematic scope and inclusive vision. While the Biennale itself does not bestow awards on its director, her curation significantly influenced global art trends and discourse. She has been recognized with honors including being named a Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture. She frequently serves on juries for major awards such as the Hugo Boss Prize and is a sought-after speaker at institutions like the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and the Tate Modern.

Category:Italian curators Category:Italian art critics Category:Venice Biennale curators Category:1977 births Category:Living people