Florence Biennale
Encyclopedia
The Florence Biennale is an international contemporary art fair
Art fair
An art fair is a commercial exhibition that shows the work of artists or art dealers. Each entrant has to pay a fee.Art fairs are not to be confused with art exhibitions. Exhibitions are organised by curators....

 held every two years in the Historical Fortezza da Basso in Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....

, Italy. The Biennale is run by Arte Studio, whose first contemporary art exhibition occurred in 1986. Subsequent exhibits grew, and they eventually formed the first Biennale in 1997. Brothers Pasquale and Piero Celona, of Arte Studio, serve as President and General Manager of the Biennale. They also serve on the twelve member international awards jury. The most recent Biennale was held in Florence from December 1-9, 2009.

According to Arte Studio, in 2007 there were 840 artists from 76 countries, and over 17,000 visitors. Artists cover the expenses of their exhibits through international sponsorships plus their own funds. Participants create a temporary, but far-reaching, international community of artists in Florence. For example, Terrance Allen, a visual artist from Walhallow
Walhallow, New South Wales
Walhallow is a village in the North West Slopes region of New South Wales, Australia, near the Mooki River. The town is in the south east corner of Gunnedah Shire Council local government area, north west of the state capital, Sydney and west of the nearest sizeable town, Quirindi...

 community, Kamilaroi country, Caroona in north-west New South Wales was the only Indigenous Australian artist to exhibit in 2005. He states: "Having the opportunity to share Aboriginal art, culture and history is a privilege that I consider my duty.” http://www.abc.net.au/message/blackarts/visual/s1600188.htm In the 2001 biennale, Susan Dorothea White
Susan Dorothea White
Susan Dorothea White , also called Sue White and Susan White, is an Australian painter, sculptor, and printmaker. She is a narrative artist and her work concerns the natural world and human situation, increasingly incorporating satire and irony to convey her concern for human rights and equality...

 exhibited two major sculpture assemblages Re-inventing the Wheel and Next-door Neighbours.

In collaboration with the United Nations, the Biennale is also an official participant in the “Dialogue Among Civilizations” program. http://www.florencebiennale.org/ing_biennale01.html "Artists have a special role to play in the global struggle for peace. . . Art opens new doors for learning, understanding, and peace among people and nations," said UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan in 2003. http://www.theage.com.au/news/in-depth/art-speaks-volumes/2005/12/09/1134086793600.html

The Scientific Committee of the Florence Biennale invites artists in the following categories: painting, sculpture, graphics, mixed media, installation, photography and digital art. Also in 2007, The Ars Electronica Center of Linz, a museum of digital art that organises the Prix Ars Electronica, the Ars Electronica Festival and the Ars Electronica Futurelab, had 300 square meters available to present digital art, interactive videos and to allow visitors to enter into the world of virtual reality.

From 1998 to 2005, the director of the Biennale was art historian and critic John Spike
John Spike
John Thomas Spike is an American art historian, curator, and author, specializing in the Italian Renaissance and Baroque periods. He is also a prominent contemporary art critic and past director of the Florence Biennale...

. The new Art Director is, Emanuel von Lauestein Massarani, Secretary of Culture and Superintendent of Cultural Heritage in São Paulo, Brazil.

Details from participants and visitors

Participants are solicited by the organizers via email, postal invitations, and personal telephone calls. The process starts more than one year before the event and artists who have an art website showing talent or cultural value are almost certain to be invited. In this way, with few exceptions, the artist selection is done without prejudice of style or school. Both high quality art and less advanced art with cultural value is displayed. The event allows artists coming to Florence from all over the world to meet, discuss their art, and share unique cultural perspectives and experiences. For 2007, the participant exhibit fee was 2400 euros. Total costs for travel, shipping, and lodging can more than double that price. The exhibit fee included admittance to an over twenty forums and presentations, plus each participant was given a 900 page, hardbound, full-color catalog of artist biographies and artwork examples. The Biennale catalog also lists the dozens of international businesses and organizations that sponsor many artists by paying their exhibit fees. While some artists consider this event a "vanity exhibit" (i.e., there is a fee for artists), they are still happy to participate. High profile artists such as Christo, David Hockney or Marina Abramovic were paid to attend this fair.

External links

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