Amnon Barzel is an internationally known curator and author.

Education

Barzel is a graduate of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Hebrew University of Jerusalem

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem ; ; abbreviated HUJI) is Israel's second-oldest university, after the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. The Hebrew University has three campuses in Jerusalem and one in Rehovot. The world's largest Jewish studies library is located on its Edmond J...

, where he majored in Natural Science. Barzel earned his post-graduate degree at the University La Sorbonne

Sorbonne

The Sorbonne is an edifice of the Latin Quarter, in Paris, France, which has been the historical house of the former University of Paris...

 in Paris, France, in Art History.

Career

Upon his return to Israel he became a lecturer at the Avni Institute. From the 1970 onwards he contributed regularly to the prestigious Israeli Newspaper Ha'aretz; in addition he was a lecturer at the University of Haifa

University of Haifa

The University of Haifa is a university in Haifa, Israel.The University of Haifa was founded in 1963 by Haifa mayor Abba Hushi, to operate under the academic auspices of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem....

 on 20th century art and in 1971 became a founding Editor of the IsraelI Art Magazine "Painting and Sculpture".

He was appointed Curator at the Venice Biennale

Venice Biennale

The Venice Biennale is a major contemporary art exhibition that takes place once every two years in Venice, Italy. The Venice Film Festival is part of it. So too is the Venice Biennale of Architecture, which is held in even years...

 for the Israeli Pavilion 1976 to 1980 where he presented Dani Karavan

Dani Karavan

Dani Karavan is an Israeli sculptor best known for site specific memorials and monuments which merge into the environment, though he has made important installations as well as other significant contributions to art and architecture.- Biography :Dani Karavan's father Abraham was the chief...

, Menashe Kadishman

Menashe Kadishman

Menashe Kadishman is an Israeli sculptor and painter.-Biography:From 1947 to 1950, Kadishman studied with the Israeli sculptor Moshe Sternschuss at the Avni Institute of Art and Design in Tel Aviv, and in 1954 with the Israeli sculptor Rudi Lehmann in Jerusalem.In 1959, he moved to London, where...

, Micha Ullman

Micha Ullman

Micha Ullman is an Israeli sculptor and professor of art.-Biography:Micha Ulman was born in Tel Aviv to German Jews who immigrated to Mandate Palestine in 1933. As a teenager, he attended the Kfar HaYarok agricultural school....

 and Moshe Gershuni

Moshe Gershuni

-Early life:Moshe Gershuni was born in 1936 in Tel Aviv in the British Mandate of Palestine. His parents Yona and Zvi Kutner immigrated there from Poland in the 1920s. He spent his childhood in Tel Aviv and graduated from the local religious high school in 1954. He has two siblings; a brother named...

. In 1985 he curated the Israeli Pavilion at the Biennale in Sao Paolo, Brazil. In 1977-8, he was Art Consultant to the mayor of Tel Aviv. Other international activities included: Artistic Director of The European Sculpture City (Unesco), Turku, Finland (1992–95); Artistic Director of the Targetti Art Light Collection, Firenze, Italy; From 1995, Consultant for the Phoenix international art Collection, Tel Aviv; 1985- Consultant of the Leube Foundation, Gartenau, Salzburg; 1994-1997 Director of the Berlin Jewish Museum,; 1997- Artistic Director of the Premio Mercedes Benz for Contemporary Art, Monte Firidolfi (Fi),1998 Artistic Director of Artostrada; International project of environmental sculpture, Israel, 1997-8.

His departure from the Berlin Jewish Museum came after a controversy about the museum's independence.,

Publications

Author and editor of more than 100 art books, monographs and catalogs, including:

• Art in Israel Politi ad. Milano, Italy; 1987.

• Two Environments for Peace, Firenze –Prato, Il Bisonte,1078;

• The Prato museum catalogues(from 1988 to 1993.

• Europe Now, Centro D/Electa; Spaces ‘88, Electa; Altrove, Giunti, Firenze, Italy.

• Utopia-Italian Art, Palladion A.G. Zurich, Switzerland, 1993.

• The Berlin Jewish Museum catalogues 1994-98.

• Arte e Industria, Marcos y Marcos, Milano, Italy;1996.

• Deutschland Bilder, Dumont, Koln, Germany, 1997.

• German Art, Yale University Press; 1998.

• Joseph Beuys, 2001 Silvana Editoriale, Italy.

• Franco Ionda, monography, Motta Editore, 2001.

• Dialoghi Europei d’Arte, Editoriale Modo; 2002.

• Emblema,"Colore e Trasparenza", Torcular Ed. 2005.

• Viola,Re-thinking Nature, Skira 2005.

• Re-Thinkimg Nature: Franco Viola, Electa 2005.

• Targetti Light Art,2002 and 2005;

• Israel: Hundred years of Art and Life ,Proedi Ed. Milano 2006.

• Hans Hartung , Monography, 5 Continents Milano ,2007.

• Arte Ambientale , Villa Celle Sculpture Park,GliOri ed.2008

External links

Menashe Kadishman
Dani Karavan
Centro D'arte contemporanea Pecci Prato
Villa Celle