Benjamin Genocchio
Encyclopedia
Benjamin Giorgio Genocchio (born 28 April 1969) is an Australia
n-born non-fiction writer and art critic
resident in New York
who writes for the New York Times. He is the author and editor of seven books.
(1981-1986). He studied Arts/Law at the University of Sydney
and later completed a Ph.D in art history.
, a weekly business and politics magazine. He later wrote art criticism for The Bulletin
, a weekly current affairs magazine and The Sydney Morning Herald
newspaper, before, in 1997, being appointed Sydney art critic for The Australian
, Australia's national daily newspaper. He rose rapidly to become the paper's chief art critic and later National Arts Correspondent, covering art and culture in Australia and abroad. He was twice shortlised for the Pascal Prize, Australia's premier prize for cultural criticism.
. The review prompted the Italian culture chief Vittorio Sgarbi
to denounce the review and promise to sue the newspaper for defamation. No claim was ever made, or even legally valid, though the story generated headlines and was carried in dozens of newspapers worldwide, including The New York Times
and The Times
.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n-born non-fiction writer and art critic
Art critic
An art critic is a person who specializes in evaluating art. Their written critiques, or reviews, are published in newspapers, magazines, books and on web sites...
resident in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
who writes for the New York Times. He is the author and editor of seven books.
Education
Genocchio was born in Sydney, New South Wales and attended Newington CollegeNewington College
Newington College is an independent, Uniting Church, day and boarding school for boys, located in Stanmore, an inner-western suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
(1981-1986). He studied Arts/Law at the University of Sydney
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
and later completed a Ph.D in art history.
Journalism
Genocchio began his career in journalism in his native Australia, writing for Business Review WeeklyBusiness Review Weekly
BRW is an Australian weekly business magazine published by the Fairfax Media group. It regularly compiles lists which rank corporations and individuals according to various criteria, similar to Fortune magazine in the United States.BRW provides news and commentary on the economy, business and...
, a weekly business and politics magazine. He later wrote art criticism for The Bulletin
The Bulletin
The Bulletin was an Australian weekly magazine that was published in Sydney from 1880 until January 2008. It was influential in Australian culture and politics from about 1890 until World War I, the period when it was identified with the "Bulletin school" of Australian literature. Its influence...
, a weekly current affairs magazine and The Sydney Morning Herald
The Sydney Morning Herald
The Sydney Morning Herald is a daily broadsheet newspaper published by Fairfax Media in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1831 as the Sydney Herald, the SMH is the oldest continuously published newspaper in Australia. The newspaper is published six days a week. The newspaper's Sunday counterpart, The...
newspaper, before, in 1997, being appointed Sydney art critic for The Australian
The Australian
The Australian is a broadsheet newspaper published in Australia from Monday to Saturday each week since 14 July 1964. The editor in chief is Chris Mitchell, the editor is Clive Mathieson and the 'editor-at-large' is Paul Kelly....
, Australia's national daily newspaper. He rose rapidly to become the paper's chief art critic and later National Arts Correspondent, covering art and culture in Australia and abroad. He was twice shortlised for the Pascal Prize, Australia's premier prize for cultural criticism.
Italian Government Lawsuit
In April 2002, Genocchio gained international notoriety when as the art critic for The Australian newspaper he was being threatened with a $50-million lawsuit by the Italian government for his blunt front-page critique of a visiting exhibition of Italian old master paintings at the National Gallery of AustraliaNational Gallery of Australia
The National Gallery of Australia is the national art gallery of Australia, holding more than 120,000 works of art. It was established in 1967 by the Australian government as a national public art gallery.- Establishment :...
. The review prompted the Italian culture chief Vittorio Sgarbi
Vittorio Sgarbi
Vittorio Umberto Antonio Maria Sgarbi is an Italian art critic, politician, cultural commentator and TV personality.He was appointed curator of the Italian Pavilion at the 2011 Venice Biennale...
to denounce the review and promise to sue the newspaper for defamation. No claim was ever made, or even legally valid, though the story generated headlines and was carried in dozens of newspapers worldwide, including The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
and The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
.
New York Times
In late December 2002 he moved to New York to begin writing for the New York Times. In 2008 Genocchio published Dollar Dreaming, an expose of corruption and double dealing in the $500 million trade in Aboriginal art in Australia and abroad. The book received a great deal of media attention, especially in Australia.Publications
- Dollar Dreaming: The Rise of the Aboriginal Art Market
- Fiona Foley : Solitaire
- The Art of Persuassion, Australian Art Criticism
- Simeon Nelson, Passages
- (ed.) What is Installation?
- Asian Contemporary Art
- (ed.) Contemporary Asian Art, A Critical Reader